Star of Light
by TabbyBri
Summary: When the Star of Bethlehem appears, the kings of beasts travel to pay homage to the one true King. Humans are not the only ones who love and respect our Lord. A Christmas story.
1. The Star of Bethlehem

**Hi there! This is a Christmas story. This is based on the story of the Three Kings of Orient, the Magi, traveling to baby Jesus. This isn't an AU of that by any means; I'm not making the Three Kings into lions, that would be changing history, and just be plain weird. This is about other kings who also made the journey, lion kings. I put a lot of effort into it. Given that it was created after a story about Jesus, I did **_**not**_** want to risk messing it up. So I really hope you enjoy it!**

_Star of wonder, star of light,_

_Star with royal beauty bright._

_Westward leading, still proceeding._

_Guide us to thy perfect light._

A long time ago, in the land we now call South Africa, there lived another pride of lions at Pride Rock. They were the ancestors of those who live there today. Simba's great, great, great, great, great- well, there were many greats- grandfather, King Hekima, ruled his pride with kindness and wisdom. King Hekima was deeply loved and respected by those of his pride, for he was a king with a true and proud heart. His pride was a large one, and the most respected pride for many miles. He was the most respected king in the land.

But before we speak more of Hekima, we must go back to when the first Shaman to the king of Pride Rock lived. Way back in that time, this Shaman spoke a prophecy that told of the coming birth of the one true King, the King of all, who would grow up among us to teach of love and acceptance, to be our Savior.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

On this day in the long ago, the lions of King Hekima's pride were resting under a starry sky. The day had been a hot one, and most of the pride had opted to sleep outside in the cooler night air, rather than inside the grand monolith that was Pride Rock. King Hekima lay with his son Hamu, telling the curious young prince the story of his Great Grandfather Babu- Hekima's grandfather. He was pointing to the stars with his paw, explaining how King Babu now lived with the kings who had come before him, and how they all watched over the lions who still live, guiding them in times of trouble and strife.

It was then that the lions of King Hekima's pride witnessed a very strange thing. A star appeared in the sky; a star so large and so bright that Hekima knew it would be clearly visible even if the sun were bright in the sky. Something about that star touched the heart of every man and creature who saw it, and filled them with a sense of wonder. The star's light was warm and brilliant, and it almost seemed to beckon to the lions. The pride watched the star for some time as it glowed brightly in the sky. Its light never flickered, never wavered, but continued to shine steadily.

The lions talked in reverent whispers for some time, wondering what this meant, for surely this star was no normal star. But as the night rolled by and the long hours they had been awake took their toll, one by one the Pride Landers dropped off to sleep. King Hekima, though, stayed awake for a long time after the others drifted off, his eyes fixed thoughtfully, wonderingly on the brilliant star above him.

By morning he had a plan.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And so it does for our lions.

King Hekima set off across the Pride Lands with three of his pride mates at his side. The sun now glowed brightly in the sky, having raised a short time earlier. Even so, Hekima and his friends could see the singular star that shone above them; brightly enough that even the light of the sun did not blot it from sight. As it had the night before, the star radiated welcoming warmth.

Earlier that morning, Hekima had spoken with their pride's Shaman; a tan-colored lioness named Maarifa. The night before, he'd decided to consult with the near omniscient Shaman about the appearance of the mysterious star and what it might mean. She'd told him of a long ago prophecy, a prophecy that the Shaman before her had passed on to her, just as the Shaman before him had passed it to him. Maarifa told him that the star heralded the birth of a human child who would be the one true King; a King of kings among humans and animals alike.

Soon after his talk with Maarifa, Hekima had said his goodbyes to his pride mates and to his mate Halisi and their son Hamu, promising that he would return as soon as possible. Hekima knew that he needed to travel to the place of this child's, this King of kings', birth, in order to pay homage to him. Much more than that, he desperately wanted to travel to the child, however long the trip may be- and Maarifa had promised him that it would be a very long trip indeed. When something so wondrous blessed the world, how could he, Hekima, stand to miss it?

Even before he'd known what it symbolized, the brilliant star had beckoned to him, calling to his heart. Even then, King Hekima had wanted to follow the star, and was certain from the way they'd reacted that his pride mates had felt the same draw. It was similar to how a lion dying of thirst would feel when greeted with the sudden sight of a wide lake of clear, clean water. Though the call of the star was much less insistent since it was not an answer to a desperate need for survival of the body, it still caused the same feeling of joy and wonder, the same awed sense that made lions question whether their eyes were tricking them. It beckoned because it offered a survival of the soul. And now, knowing that the star meant the true King would soon be born, Hekima could not just rest idly at his Pride Lands.

As Hekima completed his goodbyes and started on his way, he was joined by three of his pride mates. These three had chosen to join Hekima on this journey. They could not all go, the Pride Lands must be protected, the young and old must be cared for. Though the star called to all who could get there, many lions were needed to stay behind and maintain the lives and livelihood of their pride here at Pride Rock. As well, the journey would be long and harsh. It would take them through unfamiliar lands with terrain foreign to them. But three stepped up beside Hekima, determined to join him on this journey. They were Dhoruba, a large male lion, and Jani and Abiri, two lionesses. Hekima, Dhoruba, and Abiri were in the prime of their lives and were best suited for such an uncertain and possibly dangerous journey.

Jani, however, was an elder lioness, her formerly creamy tan coat now more of a gray. When others in her pride questioned the wisdom of Jani embarking on such a long journey, she'd stood firm, explaining that she knew of this prophecy, and had believed since young cubhood that it would come true in her lifetime. Now that it had, she was not going to stay behind. When the others, worried, had asked whether she could handle this journey, she'd assured them that old she may be, but her body had not yet failed her and this was one trip she could certainly handle. Hekima had no doubt of the truth in that statement. Jani may be old, but he'd known few lions with a stronger will than hers.

Abiri and Dhoruba were equally determined to travel with Hekima to honor the new King soon to be born in the lands to the north, and he was grateful for their company. Before setting off, they had all assured the others that they would bring back news of the Savior and of the journey itself.

"It is customary to offer a gift to a human child at birth, and most especially this human child. What do we have to offer, Hekima?" Dhoruba asked as they neared the border of their Pride Lands, his green eyes watching the golden-coated king curiously.

Dhoruba was Hekima's closest friend, and one of his most loyal pride mates. Hekima had been tempted to leave the burly brown lion behind so that he could protect their pride while Hekima was gone, but he'd decided against it. This would be a long journey, and Hekima was not sure what they would find while they traveled. He knew there was a possibility that they would run into danger on this journey, and he would feel better having Dhoruba along. He had not left his pride unprotected. In a pride as large as his was, there were many strong lions and lionesses who would defend their pride mates and lands with their lives if need be. Their families would be fine. Hekima prayed it would be so.

Hekima paused to raise a paw to an object that hung around his neck. "We will give Him this," he said in response to Dhoruba's question, placing his paw on the smooth orange stone.

Dhoruba looked surprised. "The amber?"

An object that had been passed down from king or queen to prince or princess, from parent to child, generation upon generation, the amber was strung around King Hekima's neck, resting against his flame-orange mane. It was held around his neck by a thin but strong vine that had been strung through the stone. This amber was the most prized possession of the pride, aside from the pride members themselves.

Hekima nodded. "Yes, the amber. I can think of nothing else to give than this. What better way do we have to show we honor the child than to give Him this, our pride's heirloom?"

Dhoruba nodded as well, an expression of chagrin on his face at his earlier surprise. "Yes, of course, you are right. It is the best we have to give."

The four lions continued on their way, crossing the border that defined their lands, and they followed the star that gleamed brightly in the daytime sky.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

In another part of the plains of Africa, King Thabiti, a young and energetic ruler, shook out his rusty-brown coat. He turned to look at the four lionesses who would be accompanying him on a journey through faraway lands.

One of the four was his mate and queen, Kujali; a strong lioness with a sand-colored coat. Thabiti was a fairly new king, and he and Kujali had not been mates for very long. As of yet, they had no cubs, though both looked forward to the day they would start a family. Kujali stood at attention, her head raised and her naturally kind brown eyes fixed on a point in the sky and filled with awed wonder.

Thabiti didn't need to follow her gaze to know what held her attention. Indeed, his own eyes were inexorably drawn to the same point in the sky. Above them, in the sky that when dark was resplendent with the Great Kings of the Past, there now glowed a star that, despite the light from the bright African sun, was larger and more brilliant than any nighttime star. It shone high over the land as a beacon to all who would heed its call. Thabiti and his pride mates were among those who felt the draw, as though the star was asking them to follow it.

And follow this star they would. Thabiti knew exactly what the star's appearance symbolized, what it meant. The knowledge had been passed down to Thabiti from his great, great grandfather, Sikia. Though Sikia now walked among the Great Kings of the Past, when he'd lived and ruled the mighty king had been approached one day by a mysterious rogue lion. The rogue, who had not given his name, had referred to himself as a wanderer who had a message of great importance for Sikia and his pride, as well as every animal the rogue could find to tell in the vast land of Africa.

The message he gave to Sikia had struck a deep cord within the king's heart. He'd told of the day a human child would be born, and that this child would be a King to whom all kings would bow, for he would be the Savior of all. He told of how a star would appear to herald the coming birth of this child; a star that could be seen from anywhere in the world. And when that star appeared, all would know that the true King would soon be born. He said also that the star would lead those who saw it and listened to its call to the birthplace of this special child. Sikia had found himself unable to doubt the rogue's word, something that was said to be very unusual for the normally cautious lion. He'd believed the rogue's story, hearing the truth that rang in the mysterious stranger's every word.

Then the stranger, his message conveyed, had gone, asking only that Sikia pass this information on to his children, for the star's appearance would likely not happen during Sikia's own lifetime, and it was something that must be known.

Sikia had done as the rogue requested, he told his daughter of the star. His daughter, once she had grown to be a queen, had passed it on to her son, who was Thabiti's own father. And he, in turn, told the tale of the strange rogue lion and the star to Thabiti himself.

And now, the tale the rogue had once told to Sikia had proven to be true. Thabiti, who always had a bright and hopeful outlook, had never doubted the story. The way his family had told him it, the rogue lion had apparently been very convincing. It had been clear that he himself completely believed that the star would one day appear, the star that signified the impending birth of the true King. And the rogue had not struck anyone in Sikia's pride as at all crazy. He'd left a lasting impression on every lion he'd spoken with about the star; and all he told the story to had believed him. And if his Great Grandfather Sikia, as well as his grandmother and his father, had believed the story- and they had, strongly so- then that had always been more than enough proof for Thabiti.

Even so, Thabiti had been astonished when the star had suddenly appeared in the sky. Who wouldn't have been? Its appearance had not been a gradual thing either. One second, all that could be seen in the sky was the silver slash of moon, the ordinary, though beautiful, stars that Thabiti saw every other night, and a scarce number of barely visible clouds. The next second, the star of the prophecy glowed with a bright light against the backdrop of black sky. It immediately captured their attention, not simply because of its brightness, but because of the feeling the star radiated; a feeling of peace, and of love, as well as the call to follow it.

So now, Thabiti, his mate Kujali, and three other lionesses from his relatively small pride were about to head out on a journey to wherever the star would take them, to where it promised the newborn King would be found.

All were ready to start out, and so Thabiti picked up the gift they had decided to give the human child. He clutched the leaf wrapping that was wound around the gift carefully between his teeth, so as not to rip through the leaves that helped to make it easy to carry. Then he straightened up, and with his four pride mates at his side, began the long journey heading in the direction of the star.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

In yet another part of the African plains, Itikadi trotted briskly, despite his somewhat older age. His eyes were fixed so constantly upon the star in the pale-blue sky that he paid only the barest amount of attention to where he placed his paws. He was followed by two of his pride mates; a lion named Tafuta and a lioness named Winda. A well-built lion whose light tan coat contrasted sharply with his pitch-black mane, Itikadi was the king of his pride, and proud to be so.

The trio of lions had set out only a short time before, determined to follow the star that shone overhead. Itikadi and his pride had seen the star appear the night before. All had wanted to go, but his pride was such a new pride that with the small number of members, they just couldn't spare many lions. As a result, only the three of them, Itikadi, Tafuta, and Winda, had set off on the journey after promising to represent them all once they reached their destination.

Itikadi had also learned of the star's meaning before its appearance. His daughter, the Princess Amini, was a young lioness nearing adulthood, though not quite yet there. She'd told him of the star. She, herself, had learned of its appearance and its meaning from a dream she'd had only a few days before the star's appearance.

Itikadi had been surprised by his daughter's story of a dream that was not just a dream but was also a vision of what she insisted would come to pass. He had been startled because Amini was not at all the type of lioness given to fanciful stories or wild beliefs. She was, in fact, usually quite level-headed. That's what had made it all the more unusual when she'd woken him and his mate, her mother, in the middle of the night. Her amber eyes had sparkled as her words tumbled wildly over each other in her excitement to tell them of the dream and its meaning.

Her family and pride mates had been incredulous, knowing how fantastic the story was, how seemingly unbelievable it was that her dream was a prediction of the future- but also knowing that it simply wasn't like Amini to make up a story and present it as truth, or to believe without cause in a dream she'd had.

Just a few days after Amini's dream, the star appeared in the sky just as she'd described. The dream truly had been a prediction of the future. Suddenly, inexplicably, it was there. And any who may have once held any doubt about the prophetic quality of Amini's dream were caught up in amazement and wonder at the sight. Every lion in the pride had been struck with awe, but none more so than Amini and her parents. Amini had been given a great and wondrous gift. She'd been chosen to tell the pride what was to occur. They were honored beyond belief.

That was when Itikadi made the decision to travel to where the star called them, to the place where the newborn human baby, the King and the Savior who had appeared in Amini's dream, would be. Itikadi's mate and Amini chose to stay behind. Though Amini, like the rest of them, had wanted to come, their pride was not a large one, and Itikadi was proud to see that his young daughter was turning into quite a capable hunter who was needed on the hunts in order to feed the pride. Though this fact worked against Amini's hope to travel to the child, she'd graciously agreed. And despite her sorrow at missing out on seeing the baby King in person, she'd been proud of the fact that her pride needed her.

And so Itikadi and his pride had chosen their own precious gift to take to the child. They'd all felt that they should bring a token of their adoration, for their presence alone could never be enough to express how they felt.

Before they left, Itikadi had grabbed their gift as the lions left their pride mates and their home behind and had started on their way, eyes frequently fixed on the star above and wonder and gratitude in their hearts for God's gift to the world.

Then Itikadi, Tafuta, and Winda, with Itikadi holding the gift, left their pride and started out on the journey. And now, the group exited their territory, and continued on their way. Itikadi's eyes were still on the star, filled with reverence and wonder.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

And thus some of the greatest kings of our past have started out on their journey. Hekima, Thabiti, and Itikadi, as well as several of each king's pride mates, all chose to follow the Star of Bethlehem. They were not the only ones. There were many creatures, man and animal alike, who made this journey, the journey to the birthplace of the King of kings, and the Savior of souls.

**This is chapter one of what will probably be a two-shot. The second half will hopefully be up by Christmas, but if not, certainly up by the New Year. Please leave a review and tell me what you think so far.**


	2. Eupe and Giza

**Well, here's the second chapter of this Christmas story. I'm really sorry about the wait. Because of the topic of this story, I'm taking it much more seriously than my other stories. Not that I don't take them seriously, but I hope you understand what I mean. I tried to sit down and write while frustrated at myself for taking so long, but it just wouldn't flow. I had to wait till one quite night when I was up alone before it all began to come to me, and then it practically wrote itself. And so without further delay, here is the second of probably three chapters of what was meant to be a one-shot: Star of Light.**

_We three kings of Orient are,_

_Bearing gifts, we traverse afar,_

_Field and fountain, moor and mountain,_

_Following yonder star._

The star shone overhead, casting its warm, bright light on the land below. Hekima, Dhoruba, Abiri, and Jani traveled beneath its glow, crossing the wide plains with long, quick strides.

They all wanted to reach the child's birthplace as soon as possible. Each of them was eager to meet Him. Each wanted to see the child and to give the newborn the amber that hung around Hekima's neck and was their gift to Him.

The lions kept up a steady trot, eventually slowing to a brisk walk when they became tired. When they'd began their journey from the Pride Lands, it had been early morning. Now the sun was in the center of the sky, lighting up the ground and making the yellow grass, still apparent through the new shoots of green growth, appear to glow. Even though the sun was high in the sky, the guiding star was still clearly visible, and none of them had any trouble following it. Eventually, the plains they crossed gave way to sand as they entered the wide, barren desert that lay near the outskirts of the Pride Lands.

The lions did not journey in silence. They talked, of course, about the star and its appearance, about the future King of all, and what it all meant. But they also spoke of what would be happening back at their home, knowing that the lionesses of the pride had probably started their hunt and wondering what the hunters might bring back to Pride Rock; wondering if they were safe and would remain so. And they swapped stories. Hekima told the others of what his son, Hamu, had recently been getting up to. The adventures and misadventures (thankfully none of them too dangerous) that the curious and rambunctious cub had first reported to his parents, Hekima and Halisi, now had all four of the group laughing. And so the first leg of the journey passed quite quickly for the lions, despite the monotony of the desert.

By the time the sun had begun to sink from the center of the sky, however, all four of the lions were thirsty. The desert didn't seem to have any source of water, at least none that they saw. The lions were surprised and relieved, then, when they spotted something on the horizon, something quite apart from the sand dunes they were by then all too accustomed to.

A wide jungle sprawled across the land ahead of them. There was a wild array of bright to dark greens and thick foliage emerging from the middle of the desert. And even from far away, they could see the sparkling waterfalls that fell throughout it; tall, mountain peaks whose tops were surrounded by long, thin clouds; and below, threading between the trees, were wide, calm streams. All together, the jungle oasis was a breathtaking sight to the hot and thirsty lions.

All four lions picked up the pace until they were trotting once more, almost running, in fact. They soon entered the blissfully cool shade under the canopy of large leafy trees above. Glad that the scorching hot sun no longer beamed down on his back, Hekima shook his head, trying to shake some of the heat from his mane one last time, then took in a deep breath. The cooler air of the jungle oasis felt good in his lungs, a relief to his overheated body. The other three in his group were likewise pleased with the much cooler, moist air of the sanctuary. Hekima noticed that the air was alive with the cries of birds and the buzzing and clicking of insects.

They stepped further into the trees and away from the desert, searching for a stream. Thankfully, in a jungle as abundant as the one they were in, they found one almost immediately, and all four lions took a long drink. The stream was not terribly far into the jungle, though the desert that they'd just come from was already hidden from sight by the thick branches and underbrush.

When he realized just how effectively the jungle's foliage hid things from sight, Hekima was struck with the worry that they wouldn't be able to see the star through the branches. Raising his head from the stream and suddenly tense, Hekima looked up, searching with his eyes the branches that crisscrossed overhead, trying to see through them for some sign of the star.

He sighed in relief as he saw it; a white glow, visible even though the branches and leaves that would have blocked any lesser star's light, had it been nighttime instead of day. They could still follow it easily, even through the jungle.

Had they not been able to see it, then in order to see the star, the lions would have had no choice but to exit the jungle the way they had entered. This would have forced them to skirt around the jungle so they could continue their journey, and the jungle was such a large one that this would have added quite a few days to the length of their trip, an inconvenience Hekima was eager to avoid. There was also the fact that they desperately needed the water and craved the shade. He was not sure how long the star would remain in the sky; surely at some point it would fade from sight, and he did not want to miss his chance to pay his respects to the King of kings.

"Are you all ready to continue?" he asked the others, when they finished drinking. Abiri was still shaking water from her muzzle.

"Yes, of course," Dhoruba said.

"Let's keep going," Jani agreed, arching her back in a brief stretch, the claws on her forepaws sinking into the squashy ground, before she straightened.

The lions, following the light of the star that managed to shine even through thick foliage, padded deeper into the jungle as they walked away from the stream.

They'd traveled for a while longer through the vast jungle, and the walk was largely uneventful. The desert had been brutal, and the beauty of the lush trees and roaring waterfalls renewed their tired spirits, though their resolve to get to their destination had never wavered and was in no need of renewal.

Then, when they'd been in the jungle for a good amount of time- though not long enough for the sun to have set, yet- they heard a new sound, different from the various bird calls and insect noises that surrounded them. A raised voice echoed through the trees, coming from not too far away.

"Hey!"

The four lions stopped walking and glanced up at the sound of the shout. It had come from somewhere high above and ahead of them, but they couldn't see the one who had spoken. All they could see was the green foliage with shadowed patches between the branches. All four lions scanned the trees for the speaker, and, to their bewilderment, saw nothing.

Then one of the shadowed areas up on a high bough seemed to shift. In one fluid movement, a dark form leapt from the shadows down to a lower branch, though one that was still quite high above their heads.

"What are you doing here? This is my territory, you know!" It was the same voice as had spoken before.

Hekima blinked as the moving black shape came into focus. It was an animal, feline in shape, with a pitch-black pelt on which not a dash of lighter fur could be seen. The young male cat was gangly and thin-limbed, obviously not yet a full adult. He appeared quite small compared to the lions, and it seemed likely that even as an adult he would be smaller than the average lion. His head was lowered between his shoulders, and a slight frown was on his dark muzzle, but his expression appeared more anxious than angry. His long black tail flicked, and his eyes, bright blue in color, were narrowed at the lions.

After a brief moment of studying the other feline, having never seen one of its kind before, Hekima responded. "I am sorry for trespassing. We didn't know that this area was claimed by anyone, we were simply passing through."

"Oh," the black cat said, un-narrowing his eyes and lifting his head. "So you're not here to steal my prey, then?"

"No, we're not," Hekima assured him. "We've already eaten today, and you have my word we'll hunt only once we've left your territory."

Accepting Hekima's promise and seeming to decide they were no threat, the black-furred feline relaxed his tense pose and slumped right down on the branch on which he stood, laying down on it with one fore leg and one hind leg hanging off. "That's good. I just got this territory recently, you know. I don't really know how to defend it yet."

"Well, not telling strangers you don't know how to defend your territory is a good way to start," Jani said with a smile, tilting her head at the young one.

"Um… Right, I guess that's true…" he agreed, ears flattening slightly in embarrassment. He tilted his head as well, quizzically. "So, what exactly are you guys?"

"We are lions," Hekima answered.

"Lions?" He frowned. "Are your kind as dangerous as my mother said?"

"We can be, of course," Dhoruba admitted. "But I'd assume that so could you. Since we're on the subject, what exactly are you?"

"Me? I'm a black panther," he replied, rolling onto his back without falling off the branch. He tilted his head back to look at them from an upside-down position, still appearing to be curious about them.

"Ah," Hekima said with a nod. He had heard of a species of big cats by that name, though he'd never seen one himself. As he'd heard it, they were simply leopards that had been born a different color from the norm.

"My name is Eupe, by the way," the panther continued. "What are your names? And where are you going?"

The black cat struck Hekima as an incredibly trusting individual. His tone of voice was open and friendly, and though he had just met the lions, he no longer seemed the least suspicious of them. His pose, lying on his back, exposed the soft underbelly that was the universal weak spot of virtually all animals. It was a dangerous move even from his seemingly safe position on the branch that was out of the lions' reach, and surely his instincts would not allow him to lay that way if he felt even slightly threatened by Hekima's group. Eupe's eyes were curious, awaiting their answer to his questions with a keenness that reminded Hekima of his son Hamu. Hamu, still a young cub, was a good bit younger than Eupe appeared to be.

Hekima found that he quite liked the young panther already.

The lions introduced themselves and told Eupe of the star and its meaning, of the prophecy Maarifa the Shaman had told Hekima, and of the journey they were on. They knew that pausing in their trip to tell Eupe this story would take time away that they should be spending traveling, but all four lions thought that anyone who didn't know of the star and the newborn King should be told and given the chance to choose whether or not they would travel to Him themselves.

Their tale left Eupe, who had rolled back to a standing position on the branch as they talked, wide-eyed with amazement. "So that's where you're going?" he asked, his voice high-pitched with excitement. He continued speaking, his words coming so quickly that the lions had no time to reply. "To visit this human child? Will he really be the King of kings? I mean, I've heard of kings, like from the Pride Lands- you're the king there, right, Hekima? But this child will be the King of kings? He'll be a Savior?" He suddenly looked upwards, toward the sky. "I have to see that star! Wait here, I'll be right back!"

The lions watched, mouths hanging slightly open, as Eupe turned and bounded up the tree, springing from branch to branch with great speed and agility. He was clearly planning to get a look at the star from the top of the tree, where the view would be unobstructed by branches.

Hekima and the others glanced at each other, smiles on their faces.

"Something tells me that Eupe is a bit excitable," Abiri commented.

"_Wow!"_ Eupe's cry came from high above them. There was silence for a moment, and when he narrowed his eyes, trying to see to the top of the tree, Hekima spotted Eupe standing on one of the highest branches, his body rigid with what could only be awe and his head raised toward the daytime sky. "It's amazing…"

A long moment passed as Eupe absorbed the feeling of the star, and as the others silently watched him, not speaking because they knew Eupe would need that time.

"I'm going," they heard Eupe say to himself firmly. "I'm _definitely_ going!"

Finally Eupe twitched and glanced back down toward the lions, his expression seeming to say that he'd almost forgotten they were there as he gazed at the star. He turned and clawed paw by paw back down the trunk of the tree, glancing over his shoulder frequently at the sky and the star it held. He bounded back onto the branch from which he'd spoken to the lions, and, from there, leapt to the ground, landing nimbly beside Hekima.

Eupe's eyes shone, joy and excitement clear in them, as well as a burning determination. As soon as his paws had touched the jungle floor, he said, "I'm coming with you! I want to travel to see Him like you four are." He paused, then added quickly, "If you don't mind, that is."

"You want to travel with us?" Hekima asked, blinking. He was not surprised that the desire to make the journey to the Savior had seized Eupe as well. He understood that completely, having felt, and of course still feeling, the star's radiant warmth and draw himself. But he was somewhat surprised that Eupe apparently wanted to make the journey along with the lions.

"I will go anyway, and I'll travel alone if you don't want me to come with you, but… can I please travel with your group, Hekima?" Eupe asked, his tone hopeful.

"Of course you can!" Hekima said, smiling. "You're welcome to come with us. I'd be glad for your company, in fact."

"So would I," Dhoruba said, and the other two agreed.

"Thank you!" Unable to contain his excitement, Eupe jumped straight up into the air, twisting, and then landed on his hind paws and balanced there for a moment before dropping back to all fours. "So are we going now?"

Hekima nodded, still smiling, and the four lions and panther started off, traveling toward the star that glowed through the thick foliage overhead.

"It will be new, traveling with others," Eupe said, padding beside the lions. "I've been on my own for a while now."

"On your own?" Jani asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Panthers are solitary. My mom said I had to have a territory of my own, and live alone in it. So she sent me out of her territory to find one for myself, like my brothers and sisters did, and after a bit of looking I got this one. But I've been kind of lonely, lately."

"I've lived with my pride my entire life. I can't imagine living without the comfort of pride mates," Hekima said. "But if panthers are solitary, as you say, shouldn't you enjoy being alone?"

"I probably should. But then a lot of animals have told me I'm a little strange." Eupe grinned as he shrugged his thin shoulders. "I guess they might be right… In any case, I'm not so fond of being solitary, at least not all the time."

"Yes, I can see where that would get lonely," Hekima agreed. "Well, we're glad to have you with us."

The panther smiled, eyes bright, then asked, "How far away do you think this place is that we're going?"

"We don't really know," Hekima said. "We expect it will be a long way."

Eupe nodded in determination. "Whatever it takes, I want to be there."

The five cats talked amiably amongst themselves and got to know each other as they trotted through the jungle oasis. Soon, the light of day faded from the sky and the trees and brush around them changed from lush shades of green to objects shrouded with deep shadows, nightfall having arrived with a speed that surprised the lions. They managed to continue their trek, though it was complicated by their decreased ability to see. It was so dark that even their natural night-sight couldn't penetrate the darkest areas beneath the trees. In fact, the only things truly visible were the light from the star they followed and a faint glow of moonlight.

A short time after the sun had set, the group jumped in shock when Jani's sudden startled hiss pierced the air, closely followed by the sound of her jaws snapping shut on something.

"Jani?" Dhoruba called, his voice raised with concern.

There was a moment during which they could hear only the sound of Jani's paws scrabbling against the ground, and Hekima and his group could only vaguely see Jani's pale-furred outline in the dark. But before they could start to panic, the lioness' frantic movements ceased and she let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"Sorry," she said. "My leg got tangled in a vine… It's so dark, I was afraid it might have been a snake; I bit it in half."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I should have warned you," Eupe's voice came from close by, his black pelt making him completely invisible in the night. "There are a lot of vines around here… And a lot of snakes, too. Don't worry, most of them aren't _really_ poisonous, and we should be able to see the ones that are quickly enough."

"Thank you, Eupe, that was very reassuring," Abiri sighed.

"Are we near the edge of this jungle, Eupe?" Hekima asked.

"Yes, we should be out soon."

Sure enough, within a short while longer the trees began to thin, allowing welcome moon and starlight to shine onto the group. They came to a small clearing within sight of the oasis' edge. Once in the clearing, they paused and stood on the grass just among the trees, looking ahead of them and out of the jungle.

Beyond the oasis lay the desert they had traveled through, albeit a different area of the desert. The dunes appeared white-blue at night, as opposed to the bright tans and yellows the sand had been in the day.

"I had hoped we were through with this desert," Dhoruba said with a sigh.

"Apparently not," Hekima said. He looked up at the sky, easily spotting the star among the other stars. Its light was so much brighter than the others of its kind, brighter than the moon, as well. Hekima wanted to continue their journey right away, but they had set out early in the morning, and now it was partway into the night. Truth be told, Hekima was tired and sore, and he knew his pride mates would be feeling the same way. And Hekima would feel much more comfortable if he fell asleep on grass, surrounded by lush plant life, rather than out in the open desert, sleeping on hot dry sand and surrounded by yet more sand. He didn't have any particular dislike for sand; he just far preferred the thought of sleeping on grass. He glanced back at his traveling companions. "Perhaps we should rest here tonight and start again in the morning," he suggested.

"Good idea," Eupe replied agreeably.

The others nodded their own agreement, and the four lions and the panther went about making their sleeping spots for the night. The lions made nests out of the grass in the small clearing, flattening the stalks beneath their paws before lying down, sleeping close to one another as they would in the comfort of their cave back at Pride Rock. Meanwhile, Eupe scaled a nearby tree to find a spot to sleep himself, choosing a fork between two branches, and soon settled down as well.

And so the big cats fell asleep under the moon and the warm glow of the prophesied star, resting so they could continue their long journey the next morning with fresh paws.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Hekima was the first to wake, opening his eyes with a yawn. He stretched as he rose to his paws, and then looked around. The day was bright and breezy, and the brisk wind whisked back his mane and made the many leaves of the jungle rustle softly. The other lions were waking up as well, and they, too, stood and stretched before padding to stand beside their king, exchanging morning greetings.

Abiri looked up at the sky. "I'm still amazed we can see the star- it's daytime, after all. But even so, there it is."

Hekima nodded, looking up as well to see the star shining with a light bright enough to rival that of the sun's. He could empathize with her amazement; he felt the same awe whenever he looked at the star, and he doubted that feeling would ever leave him, even after years had passed and the star was long gone from the sky. A part of him felt intense relief that the star had not faded overnight as they slept, though the largest part of him had known without a doubt that it would not yet disappear. He still did not know when it would fade, still believed that it would at some point. But despite that, he'd known it would still be there when they woke, and that faith had not been misplaced.

Hekima was shaken from his thoughts when, with a rattle of leaves and a thud of paws against ground, Eupe the panther tossed himself from the tree in which he'd slept. The young cat absorbed the forceful landing with what seemed like practiced ease, as if he jumped from trees with such enthusiasm every morning of his life- which Hekima strongly suspected he did.

"Good morning!" Eupe said cheerfully as he trotted over. The lions responded in kind.

All of them were thirsty, so before starting out, they went a short distance deeper back into the jungle, and stopped at a nearby river.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Hekima asked the group once they had drunk their fill.

"Quite ready," Jani answered.

The group returned to the clearing in which they'd slept; and from there, left the jungle behind, trading cool grass for the hot desert sand.

Like it had the day before, the sun heated Hekima's pelt to an uncomfortable temperature after a while of walking. The other lions seemed to be in a similar state as Hekima; though Abiri and Jani, being lionesses and so lacking the thick, heavy manes that the males sported, were doing better than Hekima and Dhoruba. Out of all of them, Eupe was having the most trouble. His coat was a sleek black and the dark color absorbed the heat of the sun like dry ground absorbed rain water. Even so, they were able to mostly ignore the heat thanks to the brisk breeze that sent thin streams of swirling sand into the air, and somewhat cooled the otherwise scorching desert.

The group was moving at a brisk trot, covering ground with a fairly high and steady speed. But even so, the sun had risen from the horizon to its highest point in the sky before they were able to see anything apart from sand dunes. The trek across the desert had again been rough. Their paw pads, unused to the hot sands, were dry and sore, and they were panting from the heat. And now that the sun had fully risen, the breeze that had formerly helped to keep them cool now only blew the hot, dry air around.

Eventually, though, the sand began to give way to tufty patches of grass. And now, a short time after seeing evidence of the end of the vast, dry desert lands, they were entering a massive Savannah. Its size and appearance reminded Hekima of the sprawling plains of the Pride Lands.

Together, they strode through the tall Savannah grass, following the light of the bright star.

"Look at that!" Jani said suddenly, when they had been in plains only a short while. "Is that another jungle?"

Hekima looked into the distance and could just make out what looked to be lush vegetation. It had appeared on the horizon ahead of them and was growing larger as they approached. It was indeed another jungle, similar to the one in which they had met Eupe. Hekima was pleasantly surprised; he hadn't been expecting to find another jungle here. He and his friends were all hot, thirsty, and exhausted from a long day of traveling in the burning African sun; and an oasis was just what they needed for another good night's sleep.

However, even as that passed through Hekima's mind, Eupe faltered in his step, stopping and causing the lions to pause as well to look back at him. "Hey… Uh, guys?" he said, his voice thin with sudden strain. "Let's go around that jungle, alright? I mean, we can't go through it!"

"What?" Dhoruba asked, bewildered. "What do you mean, Eupe?"

"That's Baya Kichaka," Eupe explained in a low voice, ears flattening against his head in fear.

"Baya Kichaka?" Hekima exclaimed, turning his gaze sharply from Eupe back to the jungle they had spotted, feeling himself tense. He took an automatic step back, away from the jungle that now seemed to loom on the horizon with an ominous air. "That jungle is Baya Kichaka?"

The jungle called Baya Kichaka was well known among African animals. Rumors of the jungle were spread far and wide, known by both predator and prey, winged and pawed, alike, and not one of the rumors was pleasant to hear. From the time he was a cub, Hekima had heard about that jungle. It was bad luck, a place from which none that entered ever returned. He'd heard that it was a dangerous place, a place of shadows and fear; and some even said that the jungle itself seemed sentient, and that it was the jungle- and not simply the dark creatures who were said to live among its trees- that caused those who traveled within its boundaries to vanish without a trace.

Not that any of these disappearances had been truly confirmed; they hadn't. The disappearances were only word of mouth, hearsay. But everyone Hekima had ever heard speak of Baya Kichaka had done so in a fearful tone, and because of that, the fear of that legendary, infamous jungle had been planted in Hekima as well. And not just him; he could see the sudden alarm in the eyes of Dhoruba, Jani and Abiri as well.

"Yeah…" Eupe responded to Hekima's question, his voice low and his ears still flattened to his head. "I knew it was in this direction, I just hadn't realized we were heading straight for it."

"We've all heard the stories…" Dhoruba said. He was eying the jungle, tensed and scanning its depths for the slightest sign of movement.

"Yes, we have," Jani said, as though she didn't particularly care to think about the stories in question, especially not within sight of Baya Kichaka.

"Maybe they're just stories," Abiri suggested hesitantly. "I mean, have any of us ever really known anyone who's disappeared in there?"

"Well, no," Dhoruba admitted.

"Neither have I," Jani added.

"I haven't either," Eupe said. "And I actually live pretty close by to this place… But I still don't like the idea of going through it. The stories could be true."

Hekima nodded. "Many stories we call legends have their basis in truth," he said.

"Even though it may take a little longer and we'll be spending the night on the desert instead of in a comfortable oasis with readily available water," Jani said, "I'd feel better if we just went around."

Though no one expressed it aloud, the relief in the air was palpable, and everyone agreed.

The group of five started ahead toward Baya Kichaka, intending to skirt around the jungle. This would certainly add time to their trip, but if they hurried, they all reasoned that it wouldn't be too much longer.

Once they were as close to the jungle as their nerves would allow, they started walking parallel to it. They had barely started when they heard a voice, coming from the jungle.

"Hello, friends, you look like you could use some water and a good meal."

The group, startled, turned at the unexpected voice to see a lion standing not far inside Baya Kichaka, underneath the nearest branches. Hekima stared at the lion, surprised that no one in their group had seen or heard him coming. This lion's appearance was surprising as well, because it was quite unusual. His mane was a bright yellow, almost golden, and it gleamed in the sun. His coat was of such a pale tan as to be nearly white; while his muzzle, chest, underbelly and the tips of his paws were all pure white. His eyes were sky blue, and his body was thick-shouldered and powerful. He seemed to be in the prime of his life; not an exceedingly young adult, but also quite far from being old. Overall, his appearance was very pleasant and appealing. He approached them with a friendly smile.

"You live in there?" Eupe blurted in shock, looking beyond the lion into Baya Kichaka.

The lion blinked in confusion. "Yes, what- Oh!" His expression cleared with understanding. "You've heard the stories, haven't you? I'm called Giza, and please let me assure you, they're just stories. I've lived here all my life." Giza's voice was deep and melodic, a very soothing voice; but Hekima was so shocked by the lion's claim that he wasn't at all soothed.

"You've lived in Baya Kichaka all your life?" Hekima repeated in surprised disbelief.

"Yes, ever since I was a cub," Giza replied, with a nod. "I know what the stories say about Baya Kichaka, but it truly is not a dangerous place- in fact, quite the opposite. It is really very safe and pleasant."

Still shocked, Hekima blinked at him in silence for a moment, unable to equate this new information with everything he'd heard about Baya Kichaka all his life. Then, with a start, he remembered his manners. "Oh, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself," he said. "My name is Hekima, and these are my friends, Dhoruba, Abiri, Jani, and Eupe." He gestured toward each as he said their names.

"Nothing to forgive, you were understandably distracted," Giza said. "And I am so glad to meet you all." His words sounded sincere, as though he truly was glad to meet them and was not just giving a customary greeting out of courtesy.

The four other lions and the panther returned the sentiment, and then Dhoruba put in, "I must say the concept of Baya Kichaka being a safe place is startling, to say the least."

"Yes, I can imagine," Giza said. "The rumors about Baya Kichaka are truly horrendous, especially because their origin was based in the lies of one greedy lion."

"How do you mean?" Hekima questioned, curious.

"There is a story of this jungle that dates back before the dark rumors," Giza said. "A story of how those rumors started in the first place. It's quite an interesting story, actually, as well as a true one, though almost no one knows of it. Would you care to hear it?"

"Yes, of course," Hekima said, noticing that all in his group now watched Giza with curiosity. "If you don't mind, we would love to hear it."

Giza nodded, sat down in the sand and began, "Many years ago, a rogue lion named Riba happened to stumble upon this jungle. Back then, this jungle was unnamed and uninhabited by any other lions, though many birds and reptiles made their home here. Riba was the first lion to have found it, and he decided to claim it for himself. He declared himself king, though he had no pride to rule. So enchanted was he by the jungle's beauty, that Riba became convinced some other lion would surely come and try to steal the territory from him. Riba was not a physically powerful lion; his true strength lay only in his brilliant mind, so he was aware that the likelihood he would win in a battle for the jungle territory was remote indeed. Riba became so paranoid, so afraid of such a possibility, that he struggled to find a way to make sure that a battle would never come about.

"Finally, Riba hit upon an idea that appealed to him. Other lions would want the jungle territory because it was such a wonderful place to live, wouldn't they? So, he reasoned, if the jungle was not such a pleasant place- or, rather, if it _appeared_ that it was not- then no one would even care to attempt to take it from him. And so he decided to create stories about the jungle, stories that would not only make it sound unappealing as a potential home, but in fact, a terrifying place that all would fear to enter. Riba gave the jungle its name, Baya Kichaka, and whenever a lion came near the jungle, he would stop them from entering, warning them of the danger they would find there. Danger, of course, that did not actually exist. But so persuasive was Riba that he was able to convince those he warned of the jungle's deadliness. Even those who doubted his word were unable to completely dismiss him, and with that seed of doubt in their minds, none were able to bring themselves to enter Baya Kichaka's depths. Oh, there were a brave few who came close, but their fears caused them to see moving shadows and crouched beasts where none existed.

"And so over the years, the rumors had been spread so far and wide that they were no longer just rumors; they were legends with a life all their own. Riba had not even needed to come up with many ways in which he could say the jungle was dangerous; he just gave a few examples of its supposed deadliness, and those stories would spread, perhaps even with a few exaggerations.

"And then, as you might expect, those lions spread the word even farther, exaggerating Riba's already extravagant claims to the point that, after many repetitions of the tales, whole new stories were born of the old, even more frightening than the last. Eventually, the tales had spread not only to lions far and wide, but to other species of animals as well; and of course, the stories are still told to this day, many, many years after Riba's death."

Giza sighed. "Riba lived a long life as master of this jungle, unchallenged throughout his entire reign, and even now his tales, made so no one would enter this jungle, are still doing their job. And so Riba's plan worked better than I believe he ever imagined it would." Giza went silent as he finished his story, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Wow," Eupe was the first one to speak, staring at Giza as though mesmerized. "That's amazing! All this started because of this Riba guy?"

Giza nodded. "It did. It is amazing, isn't it, how the lies of one lion can trick the minds of so many?"

Hekima asked, "If no other lions besides Riba lived in Baya Kichaka, how then did you come to live here, Giza?"

"Ah, well, you see, Riba was not the only lion who lived here. At least not eventually. A small pride happened to pass by Baya Kichaka one day, and among them was a lioness with whom Riba fell in love. He chose to travel with them as they skirted around Baya Kichaka, and eventually he decided to tell the lioness the truth about the jungle, and ask her to live with him as his mate as well as keep the jungle's secret. She agreed, asking only that the rest of her pride be allowed to live with them as well, to which Riba consented. I live in this jungle because I am a descendent of those from that pride."

"You're related to Riba?" Eupe asked, his muzzle twisting in distaste. Clearly, he didn't think much of Riba, an opinion that Hekima shared.

Giza laughed, a deep, booming laugh. "Oh, no, I'm glad to say I'm not related to Riba," he assured Eupe. "I'm a descendent, instead, of some of Riba's adopted pride mates."

"Oh, good," Eupe said.

"That was a very interesting story, Giza," Hekima said. "Thank you for telling us about it."

"It was my pleasure. After all, you deserve to know the truth about this jungle, rather than the lies Riba created." Giza shook his head disapprovingly.

"So Baya Kichaka isn't at all like the stories say?" Eupe asked, shooting a still-nervous look at the jungle. "I mean, I hate to sound like a coward, but, uh…" He trailed off, seeming slightly embarrassed by the need for reassurance.

Hekima could understand, however. All of them had heard those stories from the time they were weeks old, and it was difficult to dispel all their wariness of Baya Kichaka within the few minutes they had been speaking with Giza. Some part of Hekima was finding it hard to believe Giza's claim, simply on the grounds that it was so different from what Hekima had heard since cubhood. Even so, the largest part of Hekima found himself trusting Giza, who had greeted them more openly and been kinder to them than Hekima and the others could have expected, given that this was their first meeting with the lion.

"It's not cowardice at all to still be concerned, Eupe," Giza assured him with a smile. "But I promise you Baya Kichaka is safe."

Eupe nodded, his shoulders relaxing, and Hekima felt most of his own tension leave as well as Giza met his eyes with an earnest gaze.

"By the way," Giza said, "may I ask where you are headed? This is quite out of the way for most journeys, after all."

Hekima and his friends once again explained their journey, traveling to the true King, following the prophesied star.

Giza listened with interest, and when they were finished, he said, "That is quite in incredible story, and the fact that it is true makes it even more so." He tilted his head, thinking. "It sounds like a long journey, as well, and skirting Baya Kichaka will only make it longer." Giza nodded to himself as though deciding something. "And, like I said before," he continued, "you all do look as though you could use some food and water. If you want, you're welcome to come through the jungle. There are many streams to drink from, and the prey is quite plentiful. Your group is welcome to both."

"You would not mind us hunting your prey?" Hekima asked in surprise. It was one thing for Giza to greet them so well and to tell them the truth of Baya Kichaka; it was another thing entirely for him to allow them to hunt the prey from his own territory. Hekima had not completely registered the offer when Giza had first presented it, having been sidetracked by both Giza's unexpected appearance and the fact that Giza had come from a jungle Hekima had thought to be, literally, a place of nightmares.

Giza nodded. "There's so much prey in Baya Kichaka that for your group to have some would in no way endanger my pride, so yes. As well, you'll be able to pass right through Baya Kichaka, rather than around. I imagine that would take a good deal of time off of your trip."

Hekima was even more impressed with Giza now. He realized how useful a trip through this jungle would be. They would have shade, water, and food, and on top of that, Giza was right that walking through Baya Kichaka would really cut down on their distance and time.

With a surge of gratitude to this lion they hardly knew, yet who was offering so much, Hekima said, "Thank you, Giza. Your offer is quite generous. If you truly do not mind, then we accept with gratitude."

The golden-maned lion smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I imagine you would prefer a drink first before you hunt?" he asked rhetorically, continuing before they could respond. "Follow me and I'll lead you to the nearest stream. The cool, clear water should do wonders for your undoubtedly parched throats."

"Thank you," Hekima said again, his words echoed by the others in his group. Giza nodded, still smiling, and turned to head back into Baya Kichaka. With only the slightest hesitation, Hekima followed him, stepping into the infamous jungle with the others at his side, and Giza leading the way.


	3. Baya Kichaka

**I hope you like this next chapter of my Christmas short story. **

**Remember when I said that this would probably be the last chapter of this story? Well... there will be at least two others after this. I didn't get started on this chapter months ago because Christmas was so far away and I thought the story might not have as much appeal if read during the spring or summer. Now that Christmas is upon us once again, and the feelings of the season are growing strong in my heart, I was able to finish the chapter and offer it to you in the hope that you're feeling the same. **

**It is my fervent hope that the story of these lions, the king of beasts, enduring trial and hardship for the chance to honor the one true King, will speak to your heart this holiday season.**

_Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume,_

_Breathes of life, of gathering gloom._

Hekima and his friends padded beneath the first trees on the outskirts of Baya Kichaka. Giza was just ahead of them, leading them deeper into its depths. Soon enough, they were fully into the jungle and the desert behind them was out of sight, blocked from view by the towering trees that surrounded them on all sides.

Baya Kichaka was a massive jungle, and vibrant in its colors. Hekima looked around, impressed with the lush, thick vegetation. The trees and undergrowth here were even more beautiful than their counterparts in Eupe's jungle. Light shone down through the branches overhead, brightening the jungle and highlighting its beauty, creating an intricate pattern of shadow and light that draped across the ground and dappled the thick carpet of grass and plant-life that covered the jungle's rich-smelling earth.

The colors of the leaves on the trees and underbrush ranged from bright green to a green so dark as to be nearly black. The vines that hung overhead were strung with heavy, colorful flowers of several varieties, each with their own set of color tones and unique fragrances. Altogether it created a dazzling effect; one that Hekima could tell was making an impression on his companions, as well. It calmed any remaining fears about the jungle that the five of them might still have had. It was hard to imagine danger in a place such as this. Baya Kichaka was magnificent in its appearance, awe-inspiring in its beauty; and Hekima was certainly affected.

Off in the distance, beyond his line of sight, Hekima could hear the sound of nearby waterfalls splashing into the lakes at their bases, and the rushing of rivers and streams. As he and his friends walked, their paws made soft, almost inaudible thuds against the jungle floor. The wind rustled the leaves gently, and yet the jungle gave the feeling of quiet serenity.

"We'll be at the stream soon," Giza said, turning his head to look back at them. A few strands of his thick golden mane briefly covered his face as it was ruffled by the soft breeze, and then fell away to reveal his sympathetic smile. "The desert can be quite harsh, can't it? I know you all must be tired and thirsty, but it isn't far now."

Hekima nodded. He and his friends were still looking around in amazement. "This is a beautiful jungle, Giza," he commented.

"Yes, it is," Giza agreed, looking around as well with a fond expression. "You can almost understand why Riba wanted it all to himself, though of course he shouldn't have created such fear over such a wonderful place. It should belong to the world."

Giza led them deeper into Baya Kichaka, and it was then that Hekima began to notice something was strange.

As they'd walked he realized that other than the sound of the waterfalls and rivers splashing and gurgling and the wind traveling through leaves, the jungle was fairly quiet. Hekima frowned, confused. In fact, he realized that other than those sounds, it truly was _completely_ quiet. This far into the jungle, shouldn't they be hearing signs of life? Buzzing, clicking insects, slithering reptiles, the calls of birds and the sound of their wings beating the air… Hekima shook his head to clear his confusion, then pricked his ears, hoping to pick up any signs of the life he was certain should be thriving here.

Silence. Aside from the natural noises of water and wind and the soft padding of their paws on the forest floor, it was completely silent. So silent that he could hear himself breathing. A thick hush lay over the jungle, the utter quiet seeming to press against the inside of Hekima's ears, leaving him feeling as though they were blocked from air-pressure. It set his teeth on edge, for some reason he couldn't fully define. That was when another odd thought came to him. There was no evidence of rotting in this jungle. There should be some fallen, insect-ridden trees, hollowed out by the bugs that lived inside their bark. Some dead leaves, branches, something to indicate the jungle was a living, thriving, ecosystem. But no, it was almost as if the jungle was brand new, with all new growth; though if that were the case, the vegetation could not have been so tall and lush. It certainly wasn't a new jungle; the complete opposite in fact. Hekima knew this jungle to be an ancient one.

Hekima felt the fur begin to lift along his back as his spine tingled. Something was very wrong here.

He looked around at his pride mates and Eupe, intending to get their opinions, but stopped himself when he noticed that all four of them appeared nervous and were glancing around uncertainly. He didn't have to ask to know that they had also noticed that something wasn't right. There was no doubt, something was very wrong.

No sooner had Hekima come to that conclusion than their group was stepping out of the trees and into a large jungle clearing; and what was in that clearing drove all thoughts of anomalies from their minds. In the clearing was a massive lake, and pouring into that lake was a wide waterfall, tumbling down a sheer cliff from the side of a small mountain that thrust up to a sharp peak, high above the jungle floor.

The sight was so beautiful- sparkling blue water glinting invitingly in the sunlight, the waterfall's turbulent surface reflecting that same light until it seemed to glow from within, and the rock wall behind it, a mix of rusty browns and dark grays, soaked with the waterfall's spray- that the lions and panther were stunned into silence.

"Go ahead, drink your fill," Giza said, jerking his head toward the waterfall lake in invitation.

Suddenly reminded of his own thirst, of his dry throat, and irresistibly drawn to the water by its sheer beauty and clear, clean scent, Hekima hurried forward and lowered his muzzle to the water eagerly. Beside him, Dhoruba, Abiri, Jani, and Eupe were already doing the same.

The water was delicious, so much so that Hekima was surprised; he had never tasted water as good as this, even water brought by a refreshing rainfall back at the Pride Lands. This water was cool, sweet and pure, and Hekima couldn't help but wade a few paw-steps into the lake where he cooled his hot, sand-cracked paw-pads while drinking more deeply.

Hekima was interrupted when water splashed onto his head, and he jerked up to see Eupe looking at him with a wide-eyed expression that was far too innocent. That expression was wiped clear when Hekima sent a returning splash onto the panther's head, drenching his black coat so it was slicked flat. Eupe grinned, shook himself, and sent water flying. Eupe then turned and scooped a paw-full of lake water over Abiri, who sputtered in surprise. That was all it took to cause an intense but brief and gleeful water fight between Hekima, his pride mates, and Eupe.

After a few minutes of laughing and splashing each other, their coats were completely soaked and they were panting as they got hold of themselves. The water had greatly cooled their overheated fur and skin, and had soothed their parched throats, while their game had lifted their spirits, so all five of them felt much revived from their trip through the desert.

Still panting slightly from the water fight and standing stomach-deep in the lake, Hekima glanced up in search of Giza. He realized belatedly that they had been rude to their host; both by their impromptu game and by not including him in their play. "I'm sorry, Giza," he said apologetically, looking around for the other lion. "We're being rude. We just couldn't help but take advantage of your generosity by thoroughly enjoying such a perfect lake…" He trailed off, unable to spot Giza anywhere around the lake. "Giza?"

He turned his back on the lake and wadded to its shore, looking around the large clearing, but there was no sign of Giza anywhere.

"Oh, no, I hope we haven't offended him," Hekima worried.

"Hekima, have you noticed that they aren't any fish in this lake?" Abiri asked just then, sounding confused.

Hekima turned back to look at the lake. Its surface was clear enough that they could see straight to its bottom, and while there were reeds and water plants, there were no fish. "No, I hadn't," he admitted. "But you're right; I don't see any fish. And there are no other animals to be found; no insects, no birds in the sky," Hekima added, now remembering that fact, and felt surprised that such unsettling details had completely been pushed from his mind by the sight and taste of the beautiful lake.

Dhoruba nodded, ears pricked and listening intently to the area around them. "Yes, you're right. It seems odd."

"I've also noticed that nothing in this jungle is rotting," Hekima continued, frowning. "And there's always something rotting wherever there are plants of any kind- it's the circle of life. I don't understand this. I'd like to ask Giza about all this, but where has he gone?"

Hekima and his friends glanced around once more, and then started back from the waterfall's clearing toward the patch of trees from where they'd entered the clearing, calling Giza's name.

When there was no answer from the missing lion, only the silence of the jungle, Hekima put his muzzle to the ground, hoping to track Giza by scent. He was afraid he had offended the other lion and wanted to apologize, and he really did want to ask Giza about the strange things they'd noticed in the jungle. He saw that Dhoruba and Abiri had also stopped calling for Giza and were attempting to track him as well, while Jani continued calling Giza's name and while Eupe sprang up into the higher branches of a tree and looked around from there, clearly using the height as a vantage point from which to search.

Hekima picked up Giza's scent quickly, near the edge of the clearing. Following the scent, Hekima turned and walked back toward the lake again. It was on this spot where they'd last seen Giza. He padded toward the lake's edge, Giza's scent strong and fresh beneath his nose; but then, just a few feet from the water's edge, Giza's scent trail ended abruptly.

Hekima paused in confusion. He glanced around again, looking futilely for Giza, and then put his muzzle back to the ground. He walked in a circle, sniffing for the scent; but despite the impossibility of it, the other lion's trail definitely ended on that spot. It was near the edge of the lake but not in it, so it shouldn't have ended like that. It was if he was here one moment, gone the next, and he'd left no trail.

Completely confused, Hekima again searched the immediate area for the scent trail, this time with careful meticulousness, being sure not to miss a patch of ground that might give evidence that the lion had recently passed through, but it simply wasn't to be found. He raised his head from the ground as he felt another shiver pass down his spine, and all of his instincts told him that something was wrong. This just wasn't possible.

With uneasiness that approached alarm, he called the others over, and, though they all tried, none of them could pick up the scent trail, either. It was gone, as impossible as it was. It had just vanished; and with it, Giza.

"This is getting creepy, guys," Eupe said quietly, scraping a black paw at the patch of dirt that should, by all rights, bare Giza's scent, but didn't.

"That's putting it mildly," Jani said in a strained tone.

"I _knew_ coming in here was a bad idea!" Abiri exclaimed, her amber eyes wide and her ears folded back. "I just knew it!"

"You went along with it just like the rest of us," Dhoruba pointed out as he turned to face Abiri, slightly irritated.

"That doesn't mean I thought it was a good idea," Abiri retorted.

"So you didn't think it was safe, and yet decided to walk right into Baya Kichaka, anyway?" Dhoruba snorted disbelievingly, rolling his eyes. "Yes, Abiri, I'm sure that's how it went. Weren't convinced for a minute, were you?"

Riled, Abiri glared at him and opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Jani stepped between them, her shoulders squared and head lifted high.

"Stop it, both of you!" Jani snapped. "Are you hearing yourselves? Now is no time to start bickering!" Abiri closed her mouth without speaking, though she shot one more sour look at Dhoruba, who snorted again and turned his head away. Jani then turned to Hekima, and, though she tried to hide it with a stoic expression, he could see the fear in her widened eyes, as well as complete confusion. "Hekima, what do you think is going on?"

"I really don't know," Hekima admitted. "I just don't see how it's possible for Giza's trail to end like this. It defies the laws of nature."

"That it does," Jani agreed quietly.

"Guys?" Eupe said slowly, as though reluctant to say what he was thinking, his voice lowered to nervous whisper. "What if Baya Kichaka really is like the stories say?"

"What do you mean, Eupe?" Hekima asked, feeling a fresh wave of worry wash over him at the thought.

"Well, animals are supposed to go missing in this place, right?" Eupe said. "And, well, look what happened with Giza! He's gone, just like the stories say."

Hekima swallowed, realizing Eupe was right. What if Baya Kichaka really was the nightmarish place the rumors made it out to be? He unconsciously tensed his whole body, his claws coming out of their sheaves to sink into the ground.

"But I've always pictured Baya Kichaka as dark and, well, gloomy," Jani said, looking around uncomfortably. "That's how it is in the stories... in every single story I've heard about this jungle. This isn't like that at all, though, is it? This jungle is incredibly beautiful."

"That's just it, isn't it?" Hekima mused, casting a slow look at the area around them. "It's too beautiful. Have you ever seen plants as perfect as these, as undamaged and vibrant? And the water in that lake… it was the most delicious water I've ever tasted." He turned his gaze back on his pride mates and Eupe. "This place is perfect. It's too perfect, too beautiful, too peaceful." Hekima paused, considering his words. "No, not peaceful, that's not the word I want. The Pride Lands are peaceful, Eupe's jungle is peaceful, but this… this is eerie."

The others all glanced around as well, seeming to realize what Hekima meant and becoming more uneasy by the moment. Eupe, his head drawn in close to his body, stepped closer to Hekima until his smooth black pelt was brushing the king's, clearly seeking comfort.

"But Giza said he's lived here all his life," Dhoruba pointed out hesitantly. "If the jungle is dangerous, why would something happen to him only now?" Like Jani had, Dhoruba turned to Hekima as he spoke, fixing him with a questioning gaze that was tinged with desperation.

Hekima didn't know how to respond. His pride mates and Eupe were all looking to him for answers in this strange and frightening situation, as he was the leader of their group; and the fact that he could think of nothing to explain what was happening around them frustrated him to no end. He shook his head helplessly, answerless, and Dhoruba sighed, dropping his eyes toward the ground.

"Hey," Abiri spoke up softly after a moment. "Giza did say he lived here, and that's something I've been thinking about. Giza told us he lived here with his pride, right? The descendants of Riba and his pride mates?"

"That's right," Dhoruba agreed with a small nod, his earlier argument with Abiri apparently forgotten.

"So where is his pride, then?" Abiri wondered, looking from each of her companions to another, her head tilted in confusion. "Shouldn't we have seen some sign of them? Certainly they would have set scent markers somewhere around here."

Abiri had a point, Hekima thought. If the entire jungle of Baya Kichaka was the territory of Giza's pride, then they definitely should have encountered scent markers by this point. And more than scent markers; they should have come across paw-prints, leaves snapped and broken by a lion's passage, scratches on the trees and stones made by a lion sharpening their claws, depressions in the grass where one might have rested for a nap… If a pride lived in this jungle, there should be countless signs that they did, signs that would be easy to see everywhere they looked, but there was none of that. They had gone fairly deep into Baya Kichaka now, so why was there no sign of Giza's pride? Where were they, and, much more pressingly, what had happened to Giza?

"Well, they must be somewhere in here," Jani reasoned. "A pride doesn't simply vanish into thin air, after all."

"You mean like Giza vanished into thin air?" Abiri retorted, though without heat. Her tone was more fearful than anything else.

"He's here somewhere," Jani insisted firmly, though Hekima wondered whether she was trying to convince herself more than she was Abiri.

"Yes, and the first thing we need to do is find Giza," Hekima said, pushing the question aside and taking a step toward his friends. He needed to distract them from their clear worries before they lost their heads, and he thought that giving them all a task- finding Giza- might help them keep calm. More importantly, of course, was that they really did have to find Giza. Hekima was beginning to worry about the other lion; no longer that he'd offended him, like he'd first thought he might have, but now for Giza's safety. "He could be in trouble."

"I agree," Dhoruba said with a nod.

"Find Giza, and then get out of this jungle," Jani agreed, sighing. "Hopefully quickly. So where do we start, Hekima?"

Hekima glanced around, trying to decide in which direction to head. Perhaps it was caused by his uneasiness, but Hekima thought that the silence of the jungle now seemed expectant, threatening; the silence of a crouched predator, body tensed in the instant before it pounced. Shaking his head, Hekima pushed that disturbing idea from his mind, though not well enough to keep his heart-rate from increasing until he felt the pulse of its beats in his ears. He could see that his friends were nervous as well; nervousness that was right at the edge of panic. And that worried him.

As their leader, it was Hekima's job to help the others remain calm. He could not give in to his own fear, no matter how intense. When he spoke, Hekima kept his voice as steady as he could make it. "Maybe we should head back to more familiar territory and start searching from there." The others nodded their agreement, and Hekima added, "Let's go."

He started off back in the direction they'd come, leaving the clearing with the lake and waterfall behind, and the other four fell into step behind him. They left the lake clearing behind as they walked toward where Hekima remembered the jungle's edge to be, the part of the jungle they had entered from. He thought that it might be easier to find Giza that way, by retracing their steps. And perhaps Giza had simply doubled back himself, and they would run into him along the path- perhaps there was nothing stranger going on than that. As much as he wanted to believe that nothing strange, nothing dangerous, was happening around them, though, Hekima couldn't shake the feeling that there was something horribly wrong. As well as hoping to run into Giza along the way, Hekima simply wanted to be close to the edge of the jungle; close to an escape route should anything happen.

Hekima half-expected some terrible creature to strike at them from the shadows, but thankfully there was no such attack. As they continued toward the jungle's edge, his hopes rose.

Before he could begin to feel confident that they'd soon be back at the edge of the jungle, however, he was struck by the feeling that they'd somehow lost their own trail. The jungle looked completely different here, though it had all been familiar just steps ago. Just as they'd followed the visual evidence of their original path, they'd followed their fresh scents. Now, though, nothing was familiar. The scents they'd left behind as they walked from the desert to the lake deep inside the jungle were suddenly gone- the ground along the path they were following suddenly smelled only of plants and dirt, with their own scents nowhere to be noticed. The trees were all wrong; they looked like entirely different trees than the ones Hekima and the others had passed by as they'd followed Giza into the jungle. No leaves or undergrowth appeared at all disturbed, though they would have been had they passed through this way. Everything appeared pristine, as if this vegetation had never been exposed to a living creature before now, yet they should be encountering evidence that they'd just been through here on their way to the lake.

Hekima and his friends all stopped and looked around in confusion. Hekima didn't recognize the part of the jungle they were in at all. He would have if they had been going the right way, since they had passed through this part of the jungle so recently. But this truly was an area of Baya Kichaka they had not been in before, an area in which the trees seemed to loom above them, grown too thickly together to provide much room for the big cats, their thick boughs casting dark, twisted shadows on the ground below. He sniffed the ground again for evidence of their prior crossing, but found none. His friends all did the same, and finding nothing, looked up at him with expressions of dismay.

Hekima didn't understand how they could have become lost so quickly. They had traveled in a straight line since entering the jungle; all they should have had to do to return the way they'd come was turn around and head back in the opposite direction, and that was exactly what they had done. It should have taken them back to the entrance of the jungle; but it hadn't.

"I don't get it," Abiri echoed his thoughts, her tone bewildered and more than a little uneasy. "I'm sure we were going the right way!"

Had his sense of direction simply been scrambled by his anxiety? Hekima knew that was the only possible answer, the only rational answer, and yet a part of him, that part that was deeply instinctual, insisted again that something much stranger was happening.

"Maybe we should try and retrace our steps again?" Dhoruba suggested, glancing around at the surrounding jungle with tensed shoulders, his body held stiff. Hekima noticed that Dhoruba stood so close to Abiri that their fur touched, his pose suggesting both that he was trying to give comfort and protection- and that he was seeking it, as well.

"We just tried that!" Jani pointed out. Jani's usually calm temperament was shattering from the strength of her fear. She looked back the way they had come. "I know I recognized the path farther back, and we were following our scents, we _were_ going the right way!" Her head swiveled back toward the others. "But now..."

"Now we're in a completely different part of the jungle," Hekima finished grimly.

"But we were going the right way!" Eupe repeated Jani's words, his voice raising in pitch with strain. "How'd we end up lost?"

"Why are we getting so upset, so... so worried?" Dhoruba abruptly wondered aloud, his tone frustrated. "It's not as if getting lost is such a big deal!"

Hekima paused, realizing that Dhoruba had raised a fair question.

After a short moment, Abiri, with a thoughtful expression, said slowly, "I don't really think that it's the fact we're lost that's getting to me. It's that we were so careful not to get lost, and yet we are. Maybe it's the power of suggestion, knowing we're in Baya Kichaka. And the way Giza vanished... I don't know, it's just so strange. I know that the stories about this place probably aren't true, but doesn't it make the fur along your spine stand up?"

Dhoruba sighed. "Yes, it does." He suddenly shook his head emphatically, letting out a frustrated sound. "But they're just stories, as Giza told us! Lost or not, this is just a normal jungle. Even being careful, we don't know this jungle, we don't live here. Is it really so surprising that we got lost in a place we don't know, even while we were being careful not to?"

Despite his reasoning aloud, Hekima could see that Dhoruba's words did little to calm the others- or indeed Dhoruba himself. There was just something about this whole situation that set every instinct in Hekima's body on alert.

Hekima shook his head, closing his eyes briefly as he tried to think past his rising panic. Around them, the unnatural silence of the jungle was unbroken, and there were no scents aside from their own freshly made ones and those of the trees, undergrowth, and dirt... and yet Hekima felt as though they were being watched.

Opening his eyes and casting the thought away as nothing but the result of nerves, Hekima turned back to the others. "I think you're right, Dhoruba, and we should retrace our steps once more," he said. "Perhaps, if we can find where we started, back at the lake, we can try to follow our scent trail back to the jungle's edge. If we're careful to follow it, we can't lose our own trail a second time. Hopefully Giza will be somewhere along the path."

"Alright," Jani agreed.

"But let's hurry," Eupe put in, his voice wavering. "I want to get out of here."

In complete agreement with that wish, Hekima nodded, and the group, all of them unconsciously walking close together for reassurance, set off back in the direction from which they had just come.

Long minutes passed as they traveled. And though they searched, increasingly frantic, they could find no way back to the lake clearing, let alone a way out of Baya Kichaka. Worse, it now appeared that their scent trail had once again vanished- inexplicably, unbelievably- and they could not find their way back to the lake.

Hekima's heart was beating quickly in his chest with his rising fear, fear that he tried desperately to choke down, to smother for the sake of his pride mates and Eupe. Was it his imagination, or had they passed that tree with the thick layered moss on its trunk three times now? Surely that was wrong. They couldn't be going in circles when they were being so careful to go only forward, backtracking toward the lake as they were trying to do.

The others were no calmer than Hekima. Abiri's ears were flat to her head and her tail twitched behind her with nervous energy, while Jani's breath was coming shakily and her eyes were wide, and she moved with her stomach low to the ground and her shoulders slightly hunched, an automatic defensive position. Dhoruba's head was still determinedly raised, clearly trying not to show any sign of distress- Hekima knew how proud his friend was, and it was just like him to try to hide how afraid he was. But despite Dhoruba's efforts, Hekima could see that Dhoruba's claws were flexing in and out of their sheaves as he walked, and his gait was tense, tense enough that it seemed as though Dhoruba would spring out of his fur at the first unexpected sound he heard. Young Eupe was faring the worst of them, and near constant tremors wracked down the panther's spine. Hekima could hear Eupe muttering to himself under his breath as they walked, trying to reassure himself that they'd be out any second now, that they weren't in any danger.

Hekima let out a breath. He was truly beginning to doubt that they were at all safe here. There had been no sign of danger yet, no sign of any animals aside from their group at all, let alone anything that could hurt them physically. But Hekima simply could not shake the feeling that they were in very real danger. That they were, in fact, in more danger then they had ever been before.

Though they'd left the lakeside some time ago, they had still not seen hide nor hair of the missing Giza, and Hekima's worry for the other lion was getting stronger every minute.

Hekima blinked and shook his head in silent denial as they passed yet more land-markers he was positive they had passed several times already. It didn't make sense though, because they were walking in a straight line. They hadn't doubled back on themselves at all since they'd started walking back toward the lake. He knew that it was impossible for them to be passing the same tree or bush time and time again.

It was as much against the rules of nature as Giza vanishing into thin air- though that was hardly a comforting thought, since Giza _had_ vanished into thin air, and hadn't reappeared.

The familiar land-markers didn't escape the notice of the others, and for Abiri, it seemed as though it was one thing too many to for her nerves to take.

"What are we doing in here?" she exclaimed, her voice rising to almost a screech that shattered the unnatural silence abruptly. She took a few gasping breaths as she tried to control herself, and the others swapped glances before looking back at the frantic lioness. "We aren't suppose to be here! This is Baya Kichaka!" On the name of the jungle, Abiri's voice shook.

"Abiri, I swear we'll be fine-" Hekima started, though he was no longer sure it was true. What if they never did make it out of Baya Kichaka?

"Oh, don't even try that, Hekima!" Abiri snapped at her king, cutting off his words. "I don't need to be comforted with false platitudes I'm sure even you don't believe."

Hekima blinked, a little unnerved by her correct assumption.

"We're in Baya Kichaka, and everything we've heard about this jungle says that anyone who comes in here never leaves... We might as well have thrown ourselves off a cliff when we set paw in here!" Abiri's desperate fury abruptly changed to despair as her head dropped low. "What if we were wrong to follow this star?" she asked quietly. "If we didn't, we never would have come to this jungle." As the others froze, staring at her with wide eyes, Abiri continued, her voice almost a whisper. "Maybe the star doesn't mean what we thought it meant."

"How could you doubt that? You have seen the star just as we have, Abiri!" Hekima was shocked. "You were just as amazed, just as awed every time you looked at it as we were. Just as we still are."

"But what if it's really just a very bright star?" Abiri said, lifting her head to look around at the group. "What if we're wrong, what if it isn't time for the true King to be born yet?" She shook her head, averting her eyes from Hekima as he frowned. "I'm not saying I don't think He will be born someday, but what if we got over-excited now and set off on this trip when it isn't time yet?"

"That just sounds ridiculous!" Jani exclaimed, lashing her tail. "You think that a star appearing the sky, a star so much brighter and larger than any we've ever seen, could just mean nothing?"

"I don't know!" Abiri snapped. "But here we are, in _Baya Kichaka_, with no way out! What if I'm right, and we weren't supposed to set out yet? Maybe the star we're looking for is still years away from appearing. We're in a jungle we've been told horrible stories about since all of us were cubs, if any of you somehow managed to forget that for even an instant! I definitely haven't. I've been all too aware of where we are since Giza vanished."

"Me too..." Eupe muttered quietly.

"We haven't forgotten," Hekima said with a sigh. "Believe me on that. But I can't believe that we were wrong to follow this star, to continue following it. I don't believe that it's just a- a bright star and nothing else. I know it means that the true King will soon be born."

"But what if its not?" Abiri closed her eyes. "And what if we never get out of here? What if we die here, in Baya Kichaka?"

"We won't," Hekima promised as strongly as he could.

Abiri turned her head to the side, her shoulders hunched. Hekima stared at her for a moment more. He could understand her terror, considering the jungle they were in. He sighed again. What could he say to reassure his friend when he was as worried about being in Baya Kichaka as she was?

Hekima looked away from Abiri and upward, searching through the foliage overhead for the star they followed. He wanted the reassurance the sight of the star always gave him, nervous as he was from being in Baya Kichaka and from Abiri's distress.

He froze, shocked. He couldn't see the star.

Alarm began to spike his fur, bristling it along his spine. He searched every inch of the sky that he could see through the leaves, but there was no sign of the guiding star, no gleam of brilliant, warm light through the dark leaves and thick branches. They were in a part of the jungle so thick, so impossibly thick, that he could see nothing of the star.

Was that even possible? The light of that star had shone through even the thickest parts of Eupe's jungle... why would its light fail to reach them now, in this jungle?

The others, alerted by Hekima's sudden stillness, looked first to him, and then turned their gazes upward as well. Hekima heard a sharp intake of breath from Jani as she realized what Hekima had; that they could no longer see the star. The others made no sound, though from their silence, silence so deep that it could only be the result of horror, Hekima did not need to look at them to know that they had noticed its absence too.

"Where is it?" Eupe's voice came in a breathless gasp. "Where's the star, Hekima?"

"I don't know," Hekima answered shakily.

"It hasn't disappeared, has it?" Dhoruba worried. "We can't have... have lost it, been too slow to follow it, can we?"

"No!" Jani's tone was sharp with desperation. "It's just blocked by those leaves, that's all. It's not gone."

Hekima took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. As panicked as he was, something told him that Jani was right, that the star had not vanished from the sky, that it was still up there. In fact, he knew it hadn't disappeared, that it could not have. Not yet. It was, like Jani had said, only blocked from their sight at the moment by the leaves overheard.

But how could it be blocked? Hekima still didn't understand how that was possible, given how well they had been able to see it in Eupe's jungle. Even in the thickest areas of the panther's home, they had been able to see its glow very well. It hadn't even been dimmed in the slightest, no matter where they were. No matter what foliage had been between them and the sky back in that jungle, the star of the prophecy had still been as visible as ever, its light reaching them no matter what. Guiding them, showing them the way, no matter what. So how was it possible that it was completely blocked now, that there was not the slightest hint of its glow to be seen?

"It's just gone!" Eupe's words blended into a distressed yowl, and Hekima flinched at their pitch. Then he took a step toward Eupe.

"I'm sure Jani is right," Hekima said as he lifted a paw and placed it on the shaking panther's shoulder, fearing that Eupe was about to fall fully into a panic. "The star must just be blocked by the leaves." The others did not seem comforted.

"This jungle isn't natural," Dhoruba said. He pulled a paw along the ground with unsheathed claws, so that he uprooted grass and disturbed the dirt, leaving furrows in the ground, as though try to ease some of his nervous aggravation. Behind him, his tail lashed back and forth. "It just isn't right! There should be animals living here, of all kinds, somewhere, _everywhere._ And there are no insects in the dirt. Why aren't there insects in this jungle? And would someone please explain how it's possible for Giza to have vanished like he did? And where is he now? Where are Giza's pride mates?" He growled and flattened his ears to his head. He lowered his voice, but his tail still kept up its near-frantic movement. "And how are we going to leave Baya Kichaka when we keep wandering in circles?"

"Now does anybody get what I mean?" Abiri muttered, though her eyes were bright with fear, not anger. "What chance do we have to get out of here, out of a jungle like this?" She raised her head to glare at their surroundings. Hekima could see the fur on the back of her neck prickling. "What sort of place _is_ this?"

Eupe let out a mewling whimper and crouched low, trembling.

"Everyone calm down!" At Hekima's voice, not a shout but raised quite a bit above his usually quiet tone, everyone did indeed fall silent, turning to look at the king with eyes widened from surprise. Hekima let out a slow breath and continued, moderating his voice back to its usual volume; "We may be in Baya Kichaka, but nothing has happened to us yet. And there's no reason to think that anything will. We are simply lost, nothing worse than that." To his frustration- though also his understanding- their expressions were all still doubtful. "If we keep going in one direction, we'll exit the jungle eventually," Hekima insisted. "We'll be out of Baya Kichaka, and we'll able to see the star again and continue our journey."

"Do you really think so?" Dhoruba asked. Hekima looked at his friend and saw that he was frowning, his expression a mix of frustration, uncertainty, and above all, fear. Dhoruba glanced between Abiri and Hekima, then asked quietly, "Hekima, what if Abiri is right about the star, about us having started out too soon?"

"She can't be!" Eupe exclaimed before Hekima could speak, surprising Hekima with the vehemency in his voice. He'd risen from his crouch and was staring at Dhoruba with wide eyes.

"No, it must mean what we thought it to mean," Jani agreed, her attitude more subdued than Eupe's, but her tone just as firm.

As Hekima looked at Eupe, an idea hit him. If they could verify that the star had not disappeared, as he knew his friends were worrying, perhaps he could get them to calm down. Adult lions were not excellent climbers- they needed a very thick tree to support their greater weight- but a panther... "Eupe, do you think you could climb one of these trees and scout out the star for us?" he asked.

Eupe's eyes lit up and he nodded, seeming pleased that Hekima thought to ask him. "Of course I can!"

"Thank you." Hekima glanced around at the surrounding trees. "And perhaps if you find a tall enough one, you'll be able to see the edge of the jungle from there and tell us how to get out of here."

Eupe nodded again, squaring his shoulders with a suddenly determined air. "I'll do my best," he promised.

The young panther glanced around briefly and quickly chose a tree to climb. He bounded over to it, and with no more hesitation than Hekima would show when leaping from a rock to the ground, threw himself upward in a massive leap without breaking stride. Eupe attached his claws to the dark bark of the tree and quickly began scaling the tall truck, aiming first for the lowest branch, and then higher. The slim black cat soon vanished from sight among the dark foliage, though Hekima could track him by the slight sound of fur brushing leaves and thin branches bowing under his weight. Eventually those sounds faded until they were nearly imperceptible as Eupe reached the top of the tree.

A few heart-beats passed, and Hekima guessed that Eupe now stood on the highest bough, or one very close to the top. Now that he was up there and his view was unobstructed by leaves and branches, Hekima knew that Eupe would have a clear view of the entire sky.

He would have no trouble seeing the star, Hekima knew. And yet, for some reason, Hekima was struck with the sudden anxiety that Eupe would not be able to spot the star, an anxiety he found himself unable to calm. Hekima didn't know why that worry even crossed his mind. He hadn't doubted, mere moments before, that the star was up there, he had disagreed with Abiri's worries over that, even if he understood them. So why were his nerves now strung even tighter now than they'd been when they'd been passing the same landmarks time and time again?

That anxiety grew into a sickening worry as moments passed and there was no news from Eupe. Why wasn't he calling down to tell them that he saw the star, and which direction they should head? Surely Eupe would be able to see the star right away, so he shouldn't be taking more than a moment to call to them.

Hekima gave himself a mental shake. Eupe probably had already located the star- it was impossible to miss, after all- and must now just be scanning the jungle around them for the direction out. That was all. It was a very large jungle, as far as Hekima could tell, so it was entirely possible that even from the height Eupe was at, the trees stretched from horizon to horizon. It would just take him a little time to spot the way out from there. That was the only reason he hadn't spoken yet.

Yet the seconds ticked past, winding Hekima's nerves, nerves that rose inexplicably from a fear that he didn't believe to be possible, a fear that the star was gone from the sky, until they were painfully tight. Hekima noticed with a start that it literally was _painfully_ tight; he'd unconsciously tensed his muscles so much they'd begun to ache. His fur was bristling all along his spine. Hekima forced himself to relax, loosening his limbs and making his fur lie flat.

There was still no word from Eupe. Hekima knew that it hadn't really been as long as it felt, that he was imagining the length of time Eupe had been up there, exaggerating it in his mind. He knew that it had only been seconds since Eupe had climbed to the top of the tree. There was no reason to worry yet.

Around him, the other three had not taken the passing time, no matter how short it might really be, any better than he had. Abiri was shifting from paw to paw, and Dhoruba had begun pacing in front of the tree Eupe had climbed, his head raised and tilted back to gaze up uselessly into branches that would be obstructing his view of Eupe as surely as they were blocking Hekima's own line of sight.

"Eupe?" Jani called uncertainly upward, clearly unable to wait any longer. "Is everything alright up there?"

Suddenly, Hekima's heart thudded with the certainty that there would be no answer from Eupe, that their young friend, the panther he'd already become quite fond of, had vanished as completely as Giza had.

The fear, which, like the other, arose from nowhere, closed Hekima's throat with its intensity; but no sooner had that fear arisen than Eupe called down from above, his voice filtering easily through the intervening leaves and branches.

Hekima's deep relief to hear the panther's voice was immediately shaken by its tone... and then shattered into horror when he registered Eupe's words. "N-no! Nothing's alright!" Eupe's voice was a thin wail. "I can't see the star! It's not there, it's gone!"

"_What?_"

Sound roared in Hekima's ears, so loud it almost blocked out Jani's horrified exclamation, as Eupe's news struck him as nothing else today had. Dhoruba and Abiri must have reacted as well, but by that point Hekima was blind and deaf to all but his disbelief in what he had just heard. His eyes were fixed on the crisscrossing branches overheard, the branches of the tree at the tip of which Eupe was perched- where Eupe stood under a daytime sky that should be lit also by the light of the prophesied star- but shock had glazed Hekima's vision until those branches and the leafy gaps between them blended into a incomprehensible swath of thick shadow and pale light.

Trying to move his paws, trying without conscious effort to step closer to Eupe's tree, Hekima stumbled forward and almost fell. He just barely caught himself. He steadied all four legs beneath him with acute desperation, his heart racing in his chest and his breath coming in low gasps, steadied them until they were precisely set directly under him, his paws pressed against the ground squarely under his frame. He steadied them as though by reestablishing his previously perfect balance he might regain the equilibrium of his thoughts, regain the firmness of his unwavering belief that the star was still glowing in the sky, that it would be there to guide them as long as they needed it to find their way.

"What do mean gone, Eupe?" Hekima heard himself say in a voice so hoarse he almost didn't recognize it as his own. As he spoke, his awareness of his surroundings returned, abruptly resurfaced through his shock in a rush that made him dizzy. He was suddenly conscious of the sounds of disbelief and panic Dhoruba, Jani, and Abiri- even Abiri, despite her worries that the star had not meant what they thought it meant- were making around him.

"The star's gone, Hekima!" Eupe repeated quickly from where he stood, still at the top of the tree and invisible to Hekima, the words almost blurring together. "I can't see it anywhere!"

Aware of his pride mates' panic but unable to react to it, Hekima stood frozen, unable to do anything but stare up into Eupe's tree with all four paws locked in place beneath him, set so carefully beneath him in an attempt not truly to restore physical balance but rather in a futile effort to restore what had been so strongly shaken. The panic that blew through his mind sent his thoughts flying, like leaves caught in a sudden violent gust of wind, in a gale that tumbled them wildly, uncontrollably.

Hekima's head spun and he shut his eyes for a moment, trying much too late to block out Eupe's words before he could understand their meaning. Finding that hopeless, Hekima opened his eyes again and looked up at the tree, struggling to make sense of what he'd just heard, and to calm himself, knowing that panicking as he was, he was useless.

"That can't be!" Jani insisted, her voice shaking. "Eupe, it just can't!"

With a certainty born of desperation, not of logic, and in spite of being aware that Eupe would not make a mistake such as the one he was suggesting, having latched onto Jani's words as the only acceptable possibility- _it can't be_- Hekima again heard himself speak without consciously planning to do so; "You must just be missing it, Eupe. You're just not seeing it behind clouds, or perhaps it's hard to see because of the light of the sun."

"I'm not, Hekima, I'm not just missing it! It's _not there!_" Eupe's voice broke off into a choked sound that was half sob, half roar, as though his terror and confusion were trying to voice themselves in both ways at once.

Hekima froze as the sound of Eupe's panic pierced to a part of him that was nearly buried beneath his own disbelief and fear, that part of him that caused him to guard, to watch out for, those he cared for as king of his lands as carefully and as diligently as he did for his son, Hamu. The part of him that felt so responsible to those he traveled with, that felt it was his job to sooth their worries, to keep them calm and safe, rose once more to the surface; through his own panic, one of the most fundamental parts of Hekima's personality fought to the forefront. All four of his friends needed him to be calm, to take charge, if they were ever going to escape from Baya Kichaka. He couldn't allow himself to panic any more than he already had.

With an level of difficulty that nearly defeated him, Hekima leashed in his wild emotions, lashed them down and pinned them as he would pin prey to the ground. Though they struggled to get free more violently than any prey animal would ever be capable of doing; as though he'd tried to pin a rabbit and then, after the pounce, found he'd aimed instead for a rhino gone wild. Those emotions threatened to break free and regain complete control of Hekima. But he took a deep breath and forced them down, held them just barely at bay.

With panic, wild as it was, pinned down now, Hekima drew another deep breath into lungs that seemed pinched tiny with horror, and then slowly let it out. His control regained, albeit so tenuously that it he was sure it would break under the slightest additional pressure, Hekima took another step toward Eupe's tree. He stepped forward until his paws were placed among its thick tangled roots.

Trying to keep his voice even, though still loud enough for Eupe to hear him from up there, Hekima called, "What about the way out, can you see the edge of the jungle, Eupe?"

"The way out?" Eupe's voice was surprised, as though the fact that he'd been planning to look for the jungle's edge as well had been driven entirely from his mind by the absent star, and as though the sudden subject change had momentarily confused him. Hekima noticed the other three glance at him in surprise, as well. Eupe continued shakily, "But... but the star-"

"We'll figure that out in a moment, Eupe," Hekima interrupted, and then repeated with steady insistence, "Can you see the way out of the jungle?"

"But-" Eupe broke off and went silent, cutting himself off on any further protests. A few seconds passed that Hekima supposed Eupe was spending scanning the jungle around them from his tree-top post. When the panther called back down, his tone was still edged with panic, but now also with the start of despondency. "No, I can't see the edge of the jungle in any direction. There's no sign of the desert, or anything else but more Baya Kichaka, anywhere, I can't see the way out."

Hekima drew another breath, fighting down his panic as it surged stronger once again. He tried for a calm tone, though he heard the strain in his own voice, "Alright, Eupe, thank you. You'd better come back down here."

"O-okay..." With a clumsiness that Hekima already knew, despite his short acquaintance with the panther, to be unlike him, Eupe scrambled back down the tree, sending leaves rattling against each other as branches scraped his fur and bark rained down, torn loose by his claws.

Eupe leapt down to the ground, letting out a small grunt as he roughly absorbed the landing, then straightened to stand. His eyes went immediately to Hekima's, wide and fearful. He was shaking, and his voice was scared and plaintive, "Hekima, how can it be gone?"

"I don't know," Hekima admitted, trying to calm his own tremors. He turned to look at the others as Dhoruba let out a growl that approached a full snarl in volume. The sound was a nervous one. The dark-furred lion was still pacing, but now a few feet from Jani and Abiri, rather than at the foot of the tree Eupe had climbed. His tail lashed with full-blown anxiety, and his pacing showed no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Abiri and Jani were obviously faring no better than Dhoruba was.

"What do we do?" Abiri demanded, staring at Hekima desperately. "This just can't be right!"

"I thought you believed that the star didn't mean anything, Abiri, that it was just a bright star," Jani pointed out edgily, her temper, for once, fraying to the breaking point. "Why are you so panicked?"

"I know what I said!" Abiri snapped, slicking her ears flat against her head. "I didn't- I don't know! I just want to get out of this jungle, and we wouldn't be here at all if we hadn't started this trip, and now the star has- How can it just vanish, anyway? Stars don't just vanish from the sky!"

Abiri's rambling words told Hekima clearly just how panicked she was, and he could see that Dhoruba, Jani, and Eupe were just as close to completely losing their own rather tenuous holds on control. With their claws out, their fur bristling, and their eyes widened, they were more shaken than Hekima had ever seen them, and he knew he needed to take charge now.

"We won't know anything while we're in this place," Hekima said, before anyone else could say anything in response to Abiri. "We have to get out of here so we can figure things out." The others were still breathing heavily, their eyes wide, so Hekima launched immediately into his suggestion- the suggestion that he'd just come up with on the spot- wanting to give them something to focus on, something to do, so they would not fall back into a full panic. "Alright, everyone, we should split up. If we split into two groups and go in different directions, we're twice as likely to find the way out as when we're traveling as a whole."

"Split up?" Eupe repeated in disbelief. "In this place?"

"No one will be alone," Hekima assured them. "The groups would be of two and three. And if anyone finds the way out, they can signal to the other group with a roar."

"But what if the other group is too far away to hear the roar?" Dhoruba asked, and to Hekima's relief he could see that his friend was focusing now on his king's idea, and less on his panic, though there was still quite a bit of fear in his friend's widened green eyes, fear strong enough that Dhoruba, proud as he was, was still unable to mask it. "The sound only travels so far, Hekima, and if the groups are too far away from each other..."

Hekima shook his head. "But listen to how quiet this jungle is. There's no other sound here to compete with a roar, should either of our groups find the path out. The only thing that might block the noise would be the trees and bushes, and what little noise there is from streams or that lake clearing with the waterfall, and I don't believe they are loud enough to drown out a roar." He paused, thinking. "And I suppose that if one of us climbed to the top of a tree like Eupe just did, and roared from there, it would be much easier to hear from almost anywhere in this jungle. There are plenty of trees around here large enough to support the weight of a lion."

"I guess," Abiri agreed hesitantly.

"And then, when we are out of Baya Kichaka, we can focus again on the star." The others swapped uncertain glances, and Hekima said, "We can't do anything while we're here."

"But the star is gone, Hekima," Eupe said quietly, almost despairingly.

"I know, but we'll have to figure out what to do once we're out, and only then." Hekima glanced upward, wishing he could see through clearly to the sky; wishing that if he did, he would see the star they followed. "I still believe that the star will lead us to the birthplace of the true King, and I'm not about to lose faith in that belief. I can't imagine how the feelings I get when I see the star can mean anything less..." He shook his head. "I don't know why it would be gone now. I don't doubt you that it is gone, Eupe, but I still just can't believe..." He cut himself off, realizing that what he was saying was hardly helpful to his goal in keeping everyone focused and calming them down. He quickly switched subjects back to his idea. "But before anything else, we have to leave Baya Kichaka and that plan, to split up, search for the way out, and signal the other group, is the only idea I have at the moment."

Jani let out her breath in a shaky gust. "It's as good a plan as any, I suppose, and better than some. Alright, Hekima, two groups, then?"

"Yes," Hekima said, nodding. "Eupe, why don't you come with me? Jani, Dhoruba, Abiri, you three can go the other way. Will that work for everyone?"

The others, though still clearly nervous, had calmed down quite a bit now that they had a plan, as Hekima had hoped would happen. They nodded and agreed that the groupings were fine with each of them.

Hekima glanced at Eupe as he stepped up to Hekima's side, ready to go. He looked at Dhoruba, Abiri and Jani with a stab of worry, unable to shake the feeling that in a jungle such as Baya Kichaka, this parting might be the last time he saw his three pride mates.

Sudden doubt in his plan shook him, and he wondered if splitting up was really the best plan. But he countered that doubt by reminding himself that nothing dangerous had happened yet. Frightening and confusing, yes, but not dangerous, and there was no reason to believe that something dangerous would happen now, just because they were splitting into two groups.

He knew that there was no sign of any other animals in this jungle, and if that was the case, then there was nothing around to try to harm any of them even if they wanted to attack. If, by chance, they did encounter something out there that would come after them, even if something dangerous were to happen, he trusted that Dhoruba and Abiri could handle themselves in a situation, with or without him there to help them. He also knew that Jani, even though she was older than he or any of the others were by a good amount, was one lioness he would not want to face in a battle. Her determination and fire would not fail her. And as for Eupe, Hekima had not seen enough of him to be sure, but he guessed that the young black cat was not entirely helpless, either. And the fact remained that he had seen no other signs of life in this jungle, apart from plant-life, so it didn't seem as if there were anything that could pose a threat to them.

The mere fact that they were in Baya Kichaka, the jungle that featured in many a cub's nightmares, was what caused Hekima's anxiety. But though there were undeniably strange things happening around them, that didn't mean they were in danger. And if they were going to find their way out of the jungle, then they could not continue with the method they had been using, trying to backtrack. That had not been working, and he felt they were no closer to finding their way out now then they were when they'd first decided to double back and return to the lake and its clearing.

This plan, to split up and search a wider area for a way out, and then signal to each other, was the best plan he could come up with. They needed to find the way out of Baya Kichaka, and quickly, before Hekima's pride mates and Eupe- and indeed Hekima himself- became too terrified to do anything but panic. It was the only plan they had, and Hekima knew he had no choice but to continue with it.

Hekima cast aside his doubts as best as he could and said, "Alright, lets get going, everyone, and find the way out of here." Hekima turned toward Jani, Dhoruba, and Abiri. "Good luck, all of you, and try to keep a lookout for Giza, we still need to find him. Be sure to stay as calm as you possibly can. And be careful."

"We will be, don't worry about that," Abiri said, and Dhoruba nodded in agreement, mustering a small smile.

"We will, Hekima," Jani promised.

So with a last exchange of "good lucks", the two groups went their separate ways, Hekima and Eupe heading in the opposite direction that Abiri, Jani, and Dhoruba chose.


	4. Jungle of Illusion part 1

**This got to fifteen pages before I realized that it was just getting too long, and I'd better split it in half, so I'm going to finish this up and send the next chapter as part two of this one. The reviews I got since the last chapter went up were so kind and wonderful that I was deeply touched, thank you so much. I hope you enjoy this new installment. **

**I had no idea how important this story would become to me and how easily the ideas would flow. I just hope that I've found an interesting way to put them into words. There will be at least two more installments; the second half of this chapter, and then the final chapter, which I hope to have up by Christmas. I don't know yet whether that will require one or two installments. Thank you, dear friends, and I will be back here soon with the rest of this chapter.**

_Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,_

_Sealed in the stone cold tomb._

The silence of the dark jungle around them was complete, unbroken by any sound save for the distant noises of running water in Baya Kichaka's streams and waterfalls. Hekima walked at a steady pace, with Eupe staying close beside him. Both the king of the Pride Lands and the young panther were keeping a careful lookout for the path out of the jungle. So far, they had found nothing, and there was still no sign of the edge of Baya Kichaka.

The five of them had separated into two groups just a few minutes ago, but Hekima was uneasy about the split. What if something dangerous happened around or even to his pride mates, and he wasn't there to help them? He trusted that Dhoruba, Abiri, and Jani could keep themselves safe and unharmed in almost any situation- but this was not usual in any shape or form.

For perhaps the fifth time in the past minute, Hekima couldn't help but glance upward, hoping to see the light of the prophesied star shining through the thick foliage overhead. But no, like all the times before, there was no sign of it and hadn't been since it had vanished from the sky. Only sunlight, greatly dimmed by the dark leaves and thick branches, filtered through, and that was so faint that the light completely faded before it could reach the ground. The part of the jungle he and Eupe were in was dark and dim, the day around them turned into a false dusk, as though night had begun to descend hours ahead of its schedule.

The early darkness was more demoralizing than it was vision hindering, as both Hekima and Eupe had excellent night-sight. The dim lighting however, seemed to darken the trees around them into strange and oddly twisted figures in the gloom, with misshapen trunks and jutting branches carving deep swathes of blackness among a few of the trees that were too complete to penetrate even for a lion's eyes. In those dark spots, Hekima occasionally thought he saw movement, dark moving stealthily and soundlessly inside dark, but each time he looked more closely, he could see nothing suspicious. Each time they cautiously checked among those dark shadows, nothing was there, and he and Eupe remained alone. Though Hekima was certain that both his strange perception of the trees' shapes and the movement in the dark was simply a trick of the shadows and light, or lack of light, it was unsettling nonetheless.

He and Eupe continued looking for the edge of the jungle, but had no success. Their plan, as Hekima had suggested to their whole group not long ago, was to find the exit and then climb a tree and roar, allowing the sound of their call to carry to the others as a signal that they had found the way out, then to follow the call until the two groups had rejoined. No call had yet come from Dhoruba, Abiri, or Jani, and so Hekima knew that they were having no more luck finding the exit than he and Eupe were.

The two traveled in every direction that seemed to feel right to them, but each time, after several minutes of walking, they found themselves back in what seemed to be the same part of the jungle from which they'd started. When this happened again, Hekima, suspicious but unable to confirm his suspicions, got an idea. Using his muzzle, he pushed some largish stones into the center of a small clearing close by, making a clear marker, one even clearer than the all-too familiar seeming trees and bushes around what seemed to be their starting point. That marker left behind, he and Eupe started off again.

Hekima was grimly satisfied to have his suspicions proven correct when, not long after, he and Eupe once again walked back to where they'd started. The clearing marked with stones lay nearby. It left no room for doubt that they were indeed walking in circles, no matter which direction they'd chosen to take- which, of course, should have been impossible.

Eupe stared at the stones in the center of the clearing with distress and something approaching defeat. "What do we do now, Hekima?" he asked, his shoulders slumped. "This is so frustrating! We keep trusting our guts about where to go, and we still keep ending up back where we started. We're never going to get out of here if we can't figure something out..." Eupe lowered his head, and Hekima heard him bite back a stressed whimper.

Just then a new thought blossomed in Hekima's mind. It came out of nowhere but suddenly seemed to make sense. They had indeed been following their guts, as all animals instinctively do, and indeed are taught to do from birth. But natural instinct had, in this case, literally gotten them nowhere. So...

He turned to Eupe. "You're right. We've been following our guts, and our gut instincts seem to be off. If that's the case, than what might happen if we do exactly the opposite of what our guts tell us to do, go the opposite direction we think we should go?"

Eupe blinked at him, then frowned. "I suppose..." he said doubtfully. "I mean, nothing else has worked, so we can't be much worse off than we already are, I guess. Let's give it a try."

The two wasted no time in putting the new plan into effect, and set off into the jungle. The first time they reached an area in which Hekima felt they should go a certain way, he and Eupe turned around and started off in the opposite direction. They did this several more times, choosing the direction contrary to the ones their guts suggested, and rather to Hekima's surprise, it seemed to be working. None of the plant-life they passed seemed at all familiar, which at least meant they were likely no longer traveling in circles. But would this idea take them to the edge of Baya Kichaka, or were they just heading deeper into it?

A few minutes and many twists and turns later, Hekima blinked as he suddenly realized that the jungle around them seemed brighter than it had been. Though it couldn't be later than midday, the jungle was still gloomy enough that it continued to appear to be twilight, but the foliage overhead seemed somewhat thinner than before, allowing just a little bit more light through. Sunlight reached nearer to the ground than before, almost to the height of Hekima's head. The change in lighting as they walked had been so gradual that Hekima had not immediately registered it, and even now it was slight enough that he wasn't entirely sure if he was just imagining things.

"Eupe, does it seem brighter to you?" he asked, looking to the young black panther who padded close at his side.

Eupe's ears pricked up in surprise and he glanced around. "Yeah, I think it is!" he exclaimed. A few seconds later, he said, "It definitely is brighter around here!"

It was still dark, there was no denying that, the canopy overhead still blocked almost all sunlight. Still, Hekima couldn't help but hope that this meant they were entering a part of the jungle that was less thickly treed, and that, hopefully, meant that they were nearer to the edge.

With that thought on both their minds and sudden hope and excitement pulsing through them, Hekima and Eupe picked up their pace as they headed into the lighter area of the jungle.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Eupe's heart thumped rapidly in his chest with the hope that he and Hekima would soon reach the edge of Baya Kichaka and be able to escape the dark, horrible place along with the other three lions who were Hekima's pride mates and friends- and now Eupe's friends as well. Though the jungle had seemed harmless when Giza had first led them inside... stunningly beautiful even... the sense of safety hadn't lasted long. Eupe had been afraid when things had started to turn strange, back when Giza had vanished from the lakeside, but that fear had quickly sharpened into terror.

He'd never been so horrified or so frightened as when he'd climbed that tree and seen that the star he and his new lion friends were following had disappeared. When the star had first appeared in the sky, he hadn't noticed it, but once he had seen it, he'd felt the same draw to follow it that the others did. He was sure that it wasn't supposed to just vanish like that. The fact that it had, combined with their being trapped in Baya Kichaka, had nearly driven Eupe into a state of utter panic.

He was certain he would have lost control of himself entirely if Hekima hadn't called their attention to his idea of splitting up to look for the way out, and Eupe was grateful to the king for calming them down. By keeping cool himself, he'd helped Eupe and the others to maintain their own grip on reality. He knew that Hekima couldn't truly be any more relaxed about this than Eupe or Jani, Abiri, and Dhoruba were. Eupe may have only known Hekima for a little over a day, but he already liked and respected him deeply.

Even so, he'd had his doubts about Hekima's latest idea. His decision to ignore the instincts that dictated their sense of direction as they walked through the jungle in search of the way out seemed pretty foolish at first glance. In fact, it wasn't even that he wanted them both to ignore their feelings, but to do the complete opposite thing to what their instincts told them. It wasn't like any plan Eupe had ever heard before then, and he'd been uncomfortable with the thought of going against what their guts told them. His doubts about Hekima's plan had faded quickly because it sure seemed to be working out now. The jungle around them was lightening, barely perceptible lightening, sure, but it was getting steadily brighter as the trees around them thinned and the spaces between the trunks grew wider. That had to mean that they were closer to the edge of the jungle now, didn't it?

And then, when they were finally at the edge, they'd be able to roar out to the other three, who'd then join them here. Then they could all escape Baya Kichaka at last, and never, _ever_, go anywhere near it again.

That sounded like a wonderful plan to Eupe.

Baya Kichaka was a nightmare, just like the stories said. Remembering the stories, he remembered also that Giza had told them the stories were false, made up by that Riba guy years ago so that he could keep everyone else away from the jungle out of greed. Eupe wasn't sure how Giza could have been so wrong about the jungle being safe, since he'd lived here all his life, but clearly he had been. This jungle was nowhere near safe. Eupe could feel it in his bones.

There was danger here, even if they couldn't see it. Danger beyond walking in circles and lacking prey. Eupe hoped that the kindly lion was alright, though he wasn't sure how he could be. Vanishing in the middle of Baya Kichaka and leaving no sign behind didn't seem very safe to Eupe, to say the least. Still, he held onto the hope that Giza was unharmed. And maybe he'd even gotten out of Baya Kichaka himself, and they'd find him out there, safe and sound.

Whether Giza was unharmed and out of the jungle or not, Eupe couldn't wait to get back to the desert at the jungle's edge. He tried to ignore the persistent voice in the back of his head reminding him that, according to the stories, no one ever got out of Baya Kichaka. Even if every other part of the stories were true, that part didn't have to be. It couldn't be, because if it was, then Eupe and his friends had no hope at all of getting out. And after all, Hekima's plan seemed to be working. Now Eupe was almost certain they were near to the jungle's edge. The light around them was bright enough now that it reached the ground in places, dotting the grass with small pools of golden sunlight. And though the largest patches of sunlight were hardly as large as a leaf and many were much smaller, they were still there, which had to be a good thing.

Eupe and Hekima had been traveling at a pace just barely slower than a sprint but a little quicker than a trot, as they headed toward what both desperately hoped was the jungle's edge- until Eupe saw something that caused him to skid to a halt, his whole body freezing with shock into the motionless state of complete disbelief.

He and the others had thought that there were no other living creatures in this jungle aside from themselves and Giza- wherever Giza actually was right now. They'd seen no signs of any kind of life anywhere in this jungle, aside from plants and trees. But now, Eupe watched, stunned, as a feline shape stepped silently out from behind a nearby bush to the right of Hekima and Eupe, a feline shape that Eupe would have immediately recognized even if it weren't for the familiar scent drifting toward him from the new arrival.

Strong muscles moved smoothly under a thick golden pelt spotted with black as the other cat approached, and amber eyes fixed onto Eupe's own stunned ones. The leopard stopped a few feet from Eupe, whose paws still seemed to be frozen to the ground.

"Mazigazi?" Eupe gasped, his voice high-pitched in shock.

"Hello, brother," the leopard greeted calmly.

Eupe was just barely aware that Hekima had stopped walking and was staring back at him. "What did you say. Eupe?" Hekima asked, sounding confused.

In no state to answer Hekima's question, Eupe could only exclaim, "It's so good to see you, Mazigazi!" He stared in disbelief at the leopard who was his litter-mate, who he hadn't seen for over half a year. Mazigazi was his older brother, though he was only a few minutes older than Eupe. And of course, out of all of his siblings, Eupe was the only one who had been born with a black coat instead of a golden and spotted one; Eupe was the only one out of his two brothers and one sister to have been born a black panther. Eupe blinked as a new thought hit him. "What a minute, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," Mazigazi replied. His gaze flicked away from Eupe to Hekima, then back again, and his calm, almost emotionless tone suddenly turned hard, nearly a snarl, "What are you doing with these lions? I've been watching your charming little group for a while, since a bit before you split up, so I know you're traveling with not only this one but three others, too. What is wrong with you?"

Eupe glanced at Hekima in shock, unsure why his brother was so angry with him for traveling with the lions, and saw that Hekima was staring at Eupe in what seemed to be total bewilderment. He looked back and forth between Eupe and where Mazigazi stood- or rather, around where Mazigazi stood. For some reason, Hekima's gaze kept passing over Mazigazi without ever resting on the leopard, as though he didn't see him standing there.

"What do you mean?" Eupe asked as he turned back toward Mazigazi.

"I mean that nothing ever changes!" Mazigazi snapped. "You can't live like a proper leopard, can you? Mom thought you were so special when you were born because you were different, born with black fur as you were, but now you embarrass her. You shame our mother, and us, by refusing to live like a leopard should. When we all separated to find our own territories, you were suppose to stay on your own, not join up with others. That's how leopards live. We don't hang onto others, we proudly maintain and defend our own territory!"

Eupe flinched, shocked and hurt by his brother's acidic words, feeling as stunned as he would have been if Mazigazi had swiped him across the face with claws unsheathed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to shame my family, I don't mean to be different," Eupe said, his voice shaking. "Is it so wrong to want friends?"

"You know that's not the leopards' way. We are _solitary!_ We don't need friends, it isn't leopard to need companions." Mazigazi shook his head with disgust. "You're a disgrace. You should hang your head in shame and go back to your territory." Mazigazi turned sharply and started walking toward the part of the jungle he'd emerged from, his head lifted high.

"B-but Mazigazi, wait!" Eupe cried desperately. "Can you just tell us how to get out of the jungle?"

Mazigazi glanced over his shoulder, a sneer on his face. "Leave it to you to get lost. I'd better not tell Mother about all of this or it would break her heart." He started off, his legs stiff, but after a few steps he stopped walking and Eupe saw his shoulders rise and fall with a abrupt sigh of frustration. "Fine!" he growled without looking around again, his back still to his brother. "You're going the wrong way. The way out is that way!" He lifted a paw and pointed it toward a part of the jungle nearly opposite to the direction that Eupe and Hekima had been traveling. "Head that way and you'll get out." Without another word, Mazigazi stalked into the undergrowth and out of sight.

Eupe stared into the bushes into which his brother had disappeared with a mix of emotions; shock, hurt and grief to hear his brother say such things to him, and confusion over why Mazigazi was in Baya Kichaka at all. But also there was deep gratitude that the brother Eupe had always so looked up to had, at the last moment, decided to help them, even if he had then immediately gone on his way.

"Eupe?" he heard Hekima say, his voice uncertain. "What just... are you alright?"

"Huh?" Eupe looked over at the lion, reluctantly turning away from where he'd last seen Mazigazi. "Yeah, I- I'm fine, I guess." Largely to himself, Eupe said, "He didn't mean any of that... mean stuff. He couldn't have..."

To Eupe's own confusion, his response only seemed to confuse Hekima even more. "Who didn't mean what, Eupe?"

"What?" Eupe blinked at him. "What do you mean? You were standing right here, you saw him."

"No, I didn't see anyone," Hekima contradicted, staring at Eupe with what seemed to be alarm and concern. "Except you."

"How could you have missed him?" Eupe exclaimed, bewildered. "He was standing right in front of me!"

"I couldn't see anyone but you, Eupe, and it looked like you were talking to thin air." Eupe stared at Hekima in wordless confusion, and Hekima added, "Who is Mazigazi? You said that name a few times."

"He's my brother."

"Your brother?" Hekima was clearly even more stunned than before.

"Yeah, Mazigazi is my brother. And he was standing here, talking to me, I don't know how you didn't see him." Eupe paused, confused. "You mean you really didn't see him at all? Or hear him?"

"No, I didn't," Hekima said, shaking his head. "But you did? You saw your brother here, and he talked to you? What did he say? And what was that you said about... well, about shaming your family? I may not have known you long yet, Eupe, but I can't imagine you shaming anyone."

"Thanks," Eupe said quietly. "Yeah, he was right here, talking to me. He just walked out of the bushes over there," Eupe nodded toward those low-growing shrubs, "and up to me. That's why I stopped walking, I was so surprised to see him. Well, to see anyone around here, since it's so empty, but my brother, of all animals? In this place?" Eupe frowned. "Huh, I asked him, but he never really answered me about why he was here."

"But-" Hekima broke off. He still seemed quite confused. "Your brother showed up here out of nowhere and I couldn't see him, and he seems to have said things that upset you? I don't mean to say that you're going crazy or anything because I don't think that about you, but could it be that this jungle is just starting to get to you and you had a sort of waking nightmare? I was standing right here next to you, and I just don't know how I could have missed him if he was really here." Hekima's eyebrows raised as he paused for a moment, and then he said quietly, "I suppose it could be me, that I'm not seeing what's really there, but this is the first time we've seen anyone in this jungle, and it just seems unlikely that when we do, we'd run into someone in your family."

"But it seemed so real, it looked just like my brother," Eupe said. "But the things he said... that really wasn't anything I would have expected my brother to say." Eupe blinked as his eyes burned. "Mazigazi and I were really close, he's never talked to me that way before. He's right that leopards don't live in groups, but I didn't think that just because I prefer to have friends, my family would be ashamed of me..."

Hekima's stepped closer to Eupe and rested a paw on his shoulder, clearly trying to comfort him. "What don't you tell me something of what he said, and maybe we can figure out what just happened here."

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

This new problem unnerved Hekima more than he cared to admit. Somehow, his friend had seen and spoken to someone that he hadn't been able to see and hear. It had them both rattled and confused, and Hekima simply wasn't sure what to make of it. How could it be that he had not seen Mazigazi, had not heard him?

Aside from his confusion and unease over this new development, Hekima was also horrified by the cruel things Eupe quietly related his brother had said to him. On the trip through the desert, after the four lions had meet Eupe but before their group had come across Baya Kichaka, they had talked a lot about their family and friends, and it had seemed to Hekima that Eupe had a loving family. The way Eupe had described them, they had been very close. All of Eupe's siblings and his mother loved each other and Eupe very much. Though Eupe hadn't mentioned Mazigazi by name, he'd spoken highly of his siblings and his mother. Eupe hadn't mentioned anything about any of them being critical of him at all. If Eupe's brother had shown up, Hekima would have thought it would be a happy reunion, not one of hurtful accusations and condemnation.

As awful as Mazigazi's words to his younger sibling had been, however, Eupe had told Hekima that he had also tried to help them by telling Eupe that they were going the wrong way if they intended to leave the jungle; and he'd pointed them in a new direction.

"But how would Mazigazi know the way out any more than we do?" Hekima wondered after Eupe had finished relaying his conversation with his brother.

Eupe drew his head back in surprise, as though that thought hadn't occurred to him before. "I don't know. This place is so confusing and weird, it's easy to get lost. But he knew the way out." Eupe gave a small shrug. "And I asked him, I guess, because whenever we got into tight spots as cubs, he always knew what to do to get us out. Mazigazi was always great at fixing any problems my other brother, sister, or I had. So I guess I just figured he'd know what to do now, when I needed him to..." Eupe shook his head. "It sounds silly, I know. But he's my older brother, and he's always seemed to know just what to do. And he pointed where to go, so he did know the way out."

"It's natural to expect someone you admire to know how to deal with something that leaves you at a loss, Eupe," Hekima assured him. "It isn't silly. But I still just don't understand how you could see him while I couldn't."

"Maybe I was hallucinating or seeing things, or whatever," Eupe admitted hesitantly. "I mean, I know it's unlikely Mazigazi would be in this place." He shook his head again. "But it seemed so real..."

Hekima studied the young panther thoughtfully. He'd known Eupe perhaps too short a time to be sure, but Hekima did not believe that he was in any way mentally unstable. Hekima didn't know what was going on around them, but he did know that all of them had experienced several things that could not be explained; Giza vanishing into thin air, their group continuously walking in circles, passing the same spots again and again though they'd been traveling in a straight line. This was different, however. Eupe had seen his brother, had talked to him, had smelled his scent. He had seemed to truly be there, and a part of Hekima couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Mazigazi really had been there and had somehow been masked from Hekima's sight and hearing by whatever was causing all of the other strange things happening in this jungle.

He also didn't understand why Mazigazi would act so out of character in the way he treated Eupe, or why he would be in Baya Kichaka of all places, this jungle of nightmares. But Eupe clearly believed his brother had really been there, and his faith made it more difficult than it otherwise would have been for Hekima to have doubts. Perhaps he _hadn't_ known Eupe long enough to be certain of his mental state, but he couldn't imagine that the friendly, kind-hearted panther was at all unstable. At the very least, Hekima would wait until he saw more evidence either way to decide on that.

For now, Hekima would just have to assume that Mazigazi had truly been there and that he had somehow missed him, or he had somehow been hidden from Hekima. He wasn't sure how that was possible. But then, he wasn't sure how anything else that had been happening around them was possible, either.

If Mazigazi had been there, talking to Eupe, then, cruel words aside, he had pointed Hekima and Eupe toward what he said was the edge of the jungle. But though Hekima was willing to swallow his doubts and trust in Eupe's belief that his brother had been there and that Mazigazi would know the way out of the jungle, he'd felt as though they'd been drawing close to the jungle's edge before Mazigazi had appeared. The jungle around them had lightened as they'd walked, the trees had been thinning, as though they were reaching a part where it was less thickly wooded, and Hekima was almost certain that that had meant they'd been coming close to the edge of Baya Kichaka.

Hekima tried to make sense of all this in his mind for a minute, running through it all several times before he came to a decision. Hekima turned to Eupe, who had sat nearby quietly while Hekima thought, and whose eyes were fixed once again on the patch of bushes into which he'd seen Mazigazi vanish.

"Eupe, I don't know if your brother was mistaken or not, or maybe he was pointing the way for you to go home to your territory like he wanted you to," Hekima said.

"He did want me to go back to my territory," Eupe confirmed quietly. "And he doesn't know we're following the star, I didn't tell him that, so he wouldn't know to point us the way toward the star."

Hekima nodded. He'd thought that, as well. "We're so close to what we thought was the edge of the jungle. Maybe we should just continue on the way we were going for a little while and see if we are near the edge, and then if it's not the edge, turn right around and go the way your brother suggested."

"I guess so..." Eupe said with uncertainty in his voice. "I'm just..." He cut himself off with a sigh. "None of this makes any sense."

Overcome by a wave of sympathy for his friend, Hekima nudged Eupe's shoulder with his muzzle and said gently, "It will be alright, I promise you, Eupe. We'll figure this out."

Eupe gave a sad smile and a nod, and the two trudged off on their way with considerably less bounce in their step than they'd had just minutes before.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Dhoruba prowled alongside Jani and Abiri, his every muscle tense and his senses alert. There was no sign of any danger around them, but Dhoruba was unable to relax. In a place like Baya Kichaka, he was sure that danger could be anywhere; and if it struck, he wanted to be ready. With Hekima in the other group, searching for the way out with Eupe, Dhoruba couldn't help but feel that that made him the unofficial leader of his own group of three. He felt as though that made it his job to protect the other two if anything happened, to make sure they weren't hurt.

Not that he would ever suggest as much to Abiri or Jani, that they might need his protection. No, he valued his life far too much for that.

Perhaps part of his unease was due to the fact that they were lions of the Savannah, born and raised in wide open spaces. Jungles, with their thick-packed trees and abundant foliage, as a whole were foreign to them. Still, they had not been uncomfortable in Eupe's jungle, but this jungle seemed to be altogether more menacing.

Though nothing had happened yet, nothing strange had happened to his group since they'd split up from Hekima and Eupe, Dhoruba still felt like they were vulnerable. He couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible lurked just out of sight, waiting to pounce. Which of course was a ridiculous thought to have. There had been no indication at all that there was any life in this jungle apart from their group, and so there wasn't anything to pose a threat to them.

The star that they had been following didn't shine down through the canopy in Baya Kichaka. It had back in the panther's, Eupe's, jungle, but not here. And Eupe hadn't been able to find it in the sky when he'd climbed that tree. Dhoruba frequently looked up, hoping to see evidence of the star once again. But this time, as with all the other times since they'd realized it had vanished, the star was absent. Even if he climbed a tree, in this area of the jungle the canopy was just too thick to even hope to get a glimpse of the sky. It was unlikely that he'd be able to get far enough up any tree to see for sure. The fact that nothing was shining through, though, seemed enough proof that the star had not returned. Dhoruba again dropped his gaze and let out a sigh. He went back to keeping a careful watch on their surroundings, watching for trouble. Lost as they were, it was all he could think to do to be useful.

They kept walking for a while, on as straight a path as they could travel while making their way through the dense trees of the jungle. Scanning the scenery ahead, Dhoruba felt a jolt when he saw that the trees just ahead of them abruptly thinned and then stopped completely. Bright sunlight silhouetted the trees closest to the rim. Beyond that point, there was no sign of any more trees or foliage, though the change in lighting was too sudden, the sunlight too bright, for Dhoruba to make out any features of the land beyond the tree line. But the trees definitely ended there!

"Jani, Abiri, look!" he exclaimed in delight, certain that they had finally come to the edge of the jungle. Hearing both lionesses let out cries of surprise and hope, he sprang forward and raced toward the edge of the tree line. Abiri and Jani kept pace with him, their own paws generating extra speed in their excitement.

The three burst from the tree line and then skidded to a halt. Dhoruba's mood dropped instantly when he saw that they hadn't come to the end of the jungle after all. They had instead emerged into a clearing, in the center of which sat a medium-sized lake. Looking around, Dhoruba could see that the clearing was surrounded on all sides by thickly grown jungle trees. They were still in the depths of Baya Kichaka.

"Oh, for a moment there, I thought we were free from this jungle," Jani said, lowering her head with a sigh.

The lake they'd now come across was clearly a different lake than the one Giza had led Dhoruba, Hekima, Jani, Abiri, and Eupe to when they'd first entered the jungle. This lake was was smaller than that one, and lacked a waterfall. It had probably been created and continued to be fed by rainfall, when it came. The land around it sloped toward it in such a way that any rain would be carried down its slopes to fill it further.

The water in the lake glimmered with the reflection of the midday sun, its surface in places transformed into an imitation of liquid gold mixed with shimmering white. Where the sun wasn't reflecting off it so sharply, the water was a clear, smooth blue, and even from where they stood just in front of the tree line, Dhoruba could smell its clean, fresh scent, just like the first lake they'd seen in this jungle. Much deeper toward the center and shallow around the edges, the sight and scent of the crystal clear lake caused Dhoruba to swallow against a suddenly parched throat.

He'd taken several steps toward the lake before he realized he'd moved at all, and glanced to the side to see Abiri and Jani were hurrying to get to its shores, as well.

"Since we've found this lake, we might as well take a drink," Dhoruba said as he and the lionesses reached the water's edge.

"You'll get no arguments from me," Abiri said as she dropped her muzzle to the lake. She took a few steps forward until her fore-paws were submerged, lapping at the water thirstily.

Jani started drinking as well, wading a little farther in than Abiri had. "I really can't believe how delicious this water is," she announced after a moment, swiping her tongue around her dripping jaws. "I've never tasted water like this. And I've lived a good few years."

Dhoruba let out a sound of agreement without lifting his muzzle, enjoying the relieving feeling of the smooth and wet water slipping down his dry throat.

He had only been drinking for a few seconds, however, when a flash of movement caught his eye farther into the lake. Raising his head, Dhoruba looked along the water's surface, wondering if he'd imagined the movement, or mistaken a wind-ruffled wave for something else.

Nothing moved, and yet Dhoruba's pelt prickled with uneasiness. An expectation of danger lifted the fur along his spine, but after an instant, he forced it to lie flat. He could see nothing in the water, no sign of anything aside from water plants, and he knew that his nervousness over where they were must just be making him imagine movement where there was none, sense trouble where none existed. Shrugging his shoulders to himself as though to cast his unease away, Dhoruba dipped down for a drink again.

No sooner had his muzzle touched the lake's surface than the water just in front of him exploded upward. Jerking his head up as water sprayed his face, Dhoruba saw something lunging toward him from out of the lake at such a quick pace he could only pick up flashes of details: wide gaping jaws lined with wickedly sharp teeth; rough scales a mixture of dull gray and brown; taloned legs churning the water into a froth with the powerful thrust they gave to shove the creature up from the lake's depths; a long, thick, plated tail, thrashing with lethal strength; and cold reptilian eyes fixed on Dhoruba with an unmistakable gleam of hunger and the intent to kill and feed.

Gasping in shock and terror, Dhoruba sprang backward as the creature's jaws met in the air where his neck had been an instant before. Cold horror gripped Dhoruba as he recognized what the creature was, and the memory of a moment that had scarred him for life froze him in place as the Nile crocodile lunged for him once more.

Coming to his senses just in time, Dhoruba leapt backward again, twisting around in midair until his back was to the lake and the crocodile. "Get out of the lake! Get back!" he gasped over to the other two as he sprang. "There's a crocodile!"

Panic gave him speed but made him clumsy, and as Dhoruba completed his air-born spin and landed on his paws, he stumbled. His heart thrust itself into his throat as he felt the croc's teeth snap again, this time inches from his tail, and he leapt forward and ran.

With the speed of a gazelle but with none of its grace, nearly tripping over his own paws in his haste, Dhoruba bounded away from the lake. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the crocodile back at the lake's edge. It snapped its jaws with what seemed to be frustration at having missed its prey, but then backed down into the lake once more and sank back into its depths.

Dhoruba slowed his dash to safety and stopped, gasping, shaking. He looked back at the lake where the Nile crocodile had been. He'd run far enough away from the lake that the ground was no longer damp from the water's edge. Crocodiles rarely came out this far from the water. He heard his own ragged breathing and tried to control it with little success, his eyes still on the lake, half expecting the crocodile to charge back up and race toward him; but the lake's surface was undisturbed.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

"What did you see, what's out there?" Abiri gasped as she skidded to a stop at Dhoruba's side, with Jani right next to her. Abiri's heart was thudding in her chest, and she glanced rapidly back and forth between Dhoruba and the lake, unsure what had caused her friend to became so suddenly frightened, but infected by his panic.

Neither she nor Jani had seen whatever had made Dhoruba react the way he had; as far as they had seen, Dhoruba had just suddenly sprung away from the lake, clearly terrified and shouting something that had sounded like 'crocodile'.

"Didn't you see that crocodile?" Dhoruba asked breathlessly. "It was massive! It was the same kind that killed my father."

Abiri caught her breath. Of all things for Dhoruba to have seen... a Nile crocodile? When Dhoruba was a cub, he and his father had been attacked by a Nile crocodile when they'd stepped too close to the river that ran through the Pride Lands. Though Jasiri had managed to save his son's life, he had died in the croc's attack, dragged into the river's depths as Dhoruba watched in horror.

Abiri had only been a young cub herself when that had happened, but she could clearly remember how traumatized Dhoruba had been. Since then, though he'd tried to hide it as he'd gotten older, he'd been terrified of crocodiles, especially Nile crocodiles.

"Oh, my goodness!" Jani said in horror. "There was a crocodile in that lake?" She stepped close to the younger lion, looking him over with shocked concern. "Where is it now? Are you hurt, Dhoruba?"

"It went back into the water," Dhoruba answered, and Abiri was distressed but not surprised, under the circumstances, to hear a tremor in his voice. It was very rare to see Dhoruba so shaken, and Abiri didn't like it at all. "And no, thank you, I'm not hurt, but... What about either of you, are you alright?"

"Yes, we're fine. We didn't even see the crocodile," Abiri told him, shaking her head.

"But how couldn't you have?" Dhoruba asked, confused. He shot an uneasy glance toward the lake. "It was so large, and the splash it made... It lunged out of the lake, right in front of me." He turned back to Abiri and Jani, his green eyes wide. "You didn't see it?"

Abiri looked to Jani in bewilderment. Jani met Abiri's eyes, her own reflecting the same amount of confusion Abiri felt, and then the older lioness said, "What splash, Dhoruba? As far as we could see, the lake was perfectly calm..."

"I thought you meant you just saw the crocodile somewhere in the lake, not near the shore, not that it tried to attack you," Abiri added.

Dhoruba stared at them. "No, the crocodile lunged at me. It very nearly caught me." He let out his breath shakily. "It made a huge splash, there was water flying everywhere... How could you have missed that?"

"I don't know," Abiri said. She turned back toward the lake uneasily. "So it tried to attack you, it leapt out of the water at you?"

"Yes," Dhoruba said with a nod.

Abiri tilted her head as she stared at the lake, unsure why, but feeling as though something was off about the water's appearance.

Jani had turned to study the lake, as well, and from the way her eyes narrowed, Abiri could see that her pride mate had noticed that something seemed off, just like she had. "Doesn't the water seem a bit clean to you?" Jani asked suddenly.

"Yes, it does," Dhoruba answered, obviously thrown by Jani's odd question. "Why?"

"Well, why isn't there any stirred up mud or dirt?"

That was it! Abiri eyes widened as she realized that that was what had been bothering her about the lake's appearance. The water was still perfectly clear, pristine. If a crocodile had struck near the water's edge, it would have distilled silt, and sent that grainy dirt billowing in clouds through the lake. If the crocodile had attacked, how had it not disturbed the water and the dirt at the lake's bottom at all?

"I- I don't know," Dhoruba stammered in bewilderment. "I could have sworn, when it attacked me... There was water thrown everywhere. You're right, the mud should be stirred." His shock overcoming even his fear of the crocodile, he took a few steps toward the lake. "How can it be that it's so still, so clean?"

Abiri suddenly thought of something else. "Wait, what is a crocodile doing here when we haven't seen any other animals?"

Dhoruba blinked in surprise. "I've no idea," he admitted. "But it was there, it nearly... it nearly dragged me into the lake."

'I'm going to get a closer look at that lake," Abiri said. "Maybe there's some clue about what's going on."

"Abiri, don't!" Dhoruba exclaimed as she started to pad toward the lake.

"I won't go too near the edge," she told him over her shoulder. "But maybe I'll be able to spot the crocodile and see where it's gone, or why the mud wasn't stirred up."

Jani nodded and hurried to catch up to Abiri. "I'll help you look."

"But the crocodile-" Dhoruba broke off, and Abiri heard him say quietly, "You're both insane..." Next second, she heard the thump of paws against ground as Dhoruba joined them to walk at Abiri's side. "And I'm coming too, so apparently, so am I." Dhoruba sighed uneasily.

Abiri stopped walking and turned to face the lion. On her other side, Jani paused, too. "You don't need to go near the lake again, Dhoruba," Abiri told him gently, knowing how shaken he was by the Nile crocodile's attack. But she almost wished she hadn't spoken as she saw the flash of hurt pride in Dhoruba's eyes.

"Of course I do," he said sharply. "I'm not going to leave you two to go near a crocodile's haunt without me. What kind of pride mate would I be if I did?" His expression changed from stubborn to guilty as he realized something. He looked away from Abiri and Jani and said, "Though I did just that a few minutes ago, didn't I? I ran without making sure you were both safely away from the lake."

"You called out a warning to us," Jani reminded him. "And you would have been a complete fool to stick around any longer than you did, if the crocodile came that close to catching you."

"Yes," Abiri agreed. "And the crocodile was focused on you, not us. You didn't leave us in danger."

"I suppose you're right, but even so I'd be happier with myself if I had thought of you first," Dhoruba said.

"You are a good friend, and there's no blame to be had," Jani told him.

"Jani's right," Abiri said.

Dhoruba gave them both a smile, and the three of them brushed flanks in understanding as they walked back toward the lake together, leaving that matter settled.

They slowed to a cautious crawl as they neared the lake's edge, and paused several feet from the edge of the water.

Abiri cast a careful look over the part of the lake's surface nearest them, looking for any sign of movement or rippling water where the Nile crocodile might be resting on the lake-bed. There was nothing there that she noticed, nor could she see anything farther out, where the water was deeper. Near the lake edge, where Dhoruba had crouched drinking before the crocodile had struck at him, the water should have had disturbed silt swirling through it, yet to settle back to the lake bottom; but it was as clean and pure as it had been when they'd first approached the lake. From that water, Abiri could see no evidence that a crocodile had attacked, and she wasn't sure how that was possible.

Dhoruba and Jani were looking around nearby, both of them standing a prudent distance from the water's edge, but they had clearly found nothing either.

"This is very, very strange," Jani said. "Why can't we find any sign of the crocodile? Disturbed mud, water. There should even be a footprint or two, or gouges from its tail or claws down on the lake-bed, but there's nothing."

"It's not the first time something strange has happened around here," Abiri pointed out, hearing the unease in her own voice.

"No, it's not," Jani agreed, her tone subdued.

"I don't know why we can't find any signs it was here. But perhaps the crocodile is in the center of the lake, at its deepest point, and that's where it's gone," Dhoruba suggested, lifting his head to stare out across the lake.

"Maybe," Abiri said. Then another, very unpleasant, thought hit her. "Or it could be in the reeds somewhere. They do rest among reeds sometimes, don't they?"

Dhoruba and Jani both shot looks at the reeds closest to them, automatically taking several steps away from those thin, pointy plants.

"That's a good point," Dhoruba muttered.

"Yes, it is," Jani said with a uneasy swish of her tail. "Whatever is going on with this lake, with this crocodile, I'd be more comfortable if we started moving on."

"So would I," Abiri agreed. "We've looked around here as much as I think we can. I don't know what's going on here, but we're not getting any farther by sticking around here. We're still in Baya Kichaka."

Dhoruba nodded. "Let's keep going, and find the way out."

With a last glance at the undisturbed lake, the three lions turned, crossed the clearing, and stepped back among the jungle's trees.


	5. Jungle of Illusion part 2

**Hi everyone! I'm shooting for one more chapter to be published Christmas eve. I keep saying this is going to be shorter than it keeps turning out to be, but I'm obviously more verbose than I thought I was. In any case, this story is from the heart, and my Christmas gift to you, and I hope you enjoy it.**

_Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,_

_Sealed in the stone cold tomb._

The trees continued to thin very gradually as Hekima and Eupe walked. Sunlight was shining through the canopy overhead, quite strongly in some places, shafts of light brightening the ground. Though overall the jungle around them was still very dim, it was much brighter than it had been before.

This part of the jungle was much less thickly wooded than most of what Hekima and his friends had passed through so far, and was certainly the thinnest area he and Eupe had been in since they'd split up from Dhoruba, Abiri, and Jani. It really seemed to Hekima that they were finally nearing the edge of the jungle.

Hekima hoped strongly that that feeling was right, that soon he and Eupe would reach the jungle's edge. Once there, as part of the plan they had decided on when their group had split, Eupe would climb a tree and roar as a signal to Hekima's pride mates. If they didn't hear it, if they didn't come, then after a while Hekima would try to find a tree that would bear his weight, so much greater than that of the young panther, and climb as high as he was able to manage, then roar himself. Hekima knew a lion's roar carried much farther than a panther's did.

If they did find the jungle's edge and call Dhoruba and the others to join them, then Hekima and his friends would at last be able to leave Baya Kichaka. They would finally be free of this jungle that was so very unnatural, so silent, so empty of other animals, aside from the appearance of Eupe's brother, which in itself was very odd, and where such strange things as Giza's disappearance happened.

Once they were out of the jungle, Hekima held onto the hope that the star might prove to be in the sky, to have reappeared. Then he, his pride mates, and Eupe could continue their journey following the light of the star to the birthplace of the newborn human child, the child who would be the King of all kings. If the star was no longer there, if it stayed gone, then he and his friends would have to decide what to do next.

But right now, the first thing they had to do was find the jungle's exit. Hekima wasn't positive they were going the right way because this jungle had already turned them around and confused them all so thoroughly, but he had to hope it was true. From the look of things around them, chances seemed good that they were.

"It's so much brighter here," Eupe spoke up suddenly, voicing Hekima's thoughts. "Much better than it was back there."

"It is," Hekima agreed.

"Maybe we'll be out soon," Eupe hoped. After a pause, he said, "I wonder if the others are having any luck."

"In a place such as this, they might easily not be," Hekima replied. "But I hope that they are. If this isn't the way out, where we're heading, then perhaps they'll find a path."

Eupe nodded. "What do you think my brother was doing here?" he asked. "I mean, I just can't figure out why Mazigazi would be here, in Baya Kichaka. We have a reason we came in here, with the star, but I don't think he knows about it." Eupe shook his head. "So why would he come in here?"

"I don't know, it does seem very strange." Hekima looked back the way they'd come. "Though that was far from the strangest thing about your encounter with him," he added, frowning.

"Right," Eupe agreed. "You couldn't see him... That pretty much tops everything so far in weirdness."

"It does, doesn't it?"

With nothing more to say on that subject, nothing they could think of to possibly explain how that was possible, both of the big cats fell silent. They walked for a while longer, with the jungle around them steadily continuing to brighten, but then Eupe paused in place, his body tense.

"Did you hear that, Hekima?"

"What?"

When he stopped still with one fore-paw raised, his ears pricked, Hekima heard it too; rustling foliage, quiet but distinct in the otherwise silent jungle. Startled, he turned to face the sound, which came from ahead of them and off to one side. For a moment, he thought it might be Giza; but then a sleek form stepped out from between two trees.

Hekima stared in shock as the leopard padded fully into sight. His pelt was golden with a pattern of black spots, rather than being wholly black like Eupe, and his eyes were amber, instead of bright blue, but his build and facial structure was so similar to Eupe's that it left no doubt that Hekima was looking at the young panther's brother.

"Mazigazi!" Eupe exclaimed. "What are you- you came back? I thought you went the other way."

Hekima just continued to stare in shock, unable to understand why Mazigazi was visible to him this time when he hadn't been before, and Eupe, shocked by his brother's reappearance, didn't notice Hekima's reaction.

"I did go the other way," Mazigazi growled, clearly annoyed. "But then I noticed that, like the world's biggest fool, you didn't follow my advice. I told you you were going the wrong way!" Mazigazi shook his head disbelievingly. "Gosh, were you always this stupid?"

Eupe flinched. "Well, I..."

Hekima shook himself out of his stupor, frowning at Mazigazi's tone as he spoke to Eupe, let alone his words. He took a step forward. "Continuing the way we were going at first rather than listening to your advice was my idea, not Eupe's," he told Mazigazi. "You shouldn't blame him."

Eupe whipped around. "Wait a second! Hekima, you can see him?"

"Yes, this time, I can," Hekima responded. He shook his head in bewilderment. "I have no idea why... I must have just missed him the first time around, though I really do not know how that is at all possible."

Eupe glanced between Hekima and Mazigazi, clearly confused.

"Yes, well, your apparent insanity aside," Mazigazi said loudly, turning to face Hekima, "why did you decide to ignore me when I said which way you both should go?"

"Because I believed that we were already going the right way," Hekima said. "The way the jungle is lightening around us seems to mean-"

"The trees are just thinner here!" Mazigazi cut him off impatiently, the fur on his neck bristling in irritation. "They soon thicken again, this way only leads deeper. This is not the way out, I've already said that."

"I was wondering about that- how do you know your way around this jungle?" Hekima asked the leopard. "Why did you even come here, if I may ask?"

"It's not your business," Mazigazi snapped.

Hekima frowned but didn't press the matter. "My name is Hekima. And I take it that you are Eupe's brother, Mazigazi?"

"Yes, I know who you are. I've been watching your group after all, as I'm sure Eupe told you. And yes, I am." Mazigazi shot a look at Eupe. "Not that being his brother is something to brag about, the way he's been acting the past few days."

"Mazigazi, how can you say that?" Eupe asked, obviously hurt. "You're my brother, I love you. You aren't like this usually, you've never been-"

"Well, I've never been so disappointed in you before, have I?" Mazigazi demanded. "Not like this. Hanging around with lions? Come on! Refusing to be solitary is bad enough, oh, is it bad enough, but you know the stories about lions. They're prey stealers, cub killers- among other things."

"Neither my pride mates nor I have ever hurt and will never hurt a cub of any species," Hekima said firmly, just short of snapping in his indignation. "And we have never stolen prey, either. We eat only what we catch ourselves, even if not all lions do."

"Hmph," Mazigazi scoffed. "Right."

"But you came back," Eupe said with sudden hope, his eyes filled with desperation as he stared at his brother. "You came back when you noticed we still weren't going the right way. You still want to help us." Eupe took a step toward Mazigazi, his words coming in a rush, "So you can't really think all those things about me, can you? You don't, Mazigazi!" Eupe's voice broke. "Please say you don't..."

"I can't say I don't think you're being stupid, and I can't say I don't think you're not acting like a leopard should, Eupe," Mazigazi said stiffly. "Or a panther, either."

"I know, but..." Eupe trailed off, swallowed, and restarted, "I'm sorry I'm not acting like normal leopards. I really am." After a painful pause where Eupe was clearly waiting for a response that didn't come, he said, "But you came back to help us. You can't be as mad as you seem, right?"

"I came back to tell you you were going the wrong way, because if I didn't you'd probably get yourself killed at some point in here," Mazigazi said, his voice not quite as hard but far from soft. "You might be just about as unlike a leopard as you can get, but even still, I couldn't leave that to happen. Like I said before, the way out is that way." He jerked his muzzle in the direction opposite to the one Hekima and Eupe had been traveling. "And this time, actually listen to me, will you?"

Hekima wasn't sure what to think. He couldn't say he liked Eupe's brother. He was being horrible to Eupe, who had as kind and gentle a heart as anyone Hekima had ever known. And he was doing it for the sheer reason that Eupe didn't act the way he thought he should. As well, Hekima didn't understand how he could see and hear Mazigazi now, but not the last time. It simply didn't make sense.

On top of that, something about the whole thing just felt off to Hekima. Something didn't feel right about any of this.

Eupe nodded to Mazigazi's question, clearly desperate to try and please his brother in some way. "We will!" He seemed to realize that he hadn't asked Hekima's opinion on that, and turned to him with wide, pleading eyes. "Is that alright, Hekima? We can go that way, right?"

Hekima hesitated. He didn't know whether it was a good idea to trust Mazigazi, though he couldn't truly see any reason not to trust the leopard who seemed to be trying to help them, despite his attitude. He also couldn't help but wonder if Eupe's intense desire to try to regain his brother's favor was blinding him to other possibilities, such as the fact that Hekima still couldn't help but think that they'd been going the right way to leave the jungle. But then again, earlier in the day when they were going in circles, they'd thought they were going the right way, and it wasn't until they went in the complete opposite direction that they found their way out of the loop. And again, if Mazigazi was right, then they weren't really headed in the right direction after all, even now. It was all too much to keep straight, let alone make sense of.

"Are you absolutely positive that to take the way you suggested will lead us out of the jungle?" he asked Mazigazi. "And we don't plan to head back in the direction of Eupe's territory yet. Will it take us out on that side?"

"No, actually," Mazigazi said. "The nearest exit from this jungle will take you off to one side of it, if you consider the area you entered it to be its front." His eyes narrowed in irritation. "And of course I'm positive this will take you out of the jungle. I am not stupid."

Hekima hesitated a moment longer. He glanced from Mazigazi to Eupe, who was staring at his brother with eyes filled with pain, then from the direction he and Eupe had been traveling to the one Mazigazi had indicated. Finally, Hekima let out a sigh. "Alright, we will take the direction you pointed out to us, Mazigazi," he decided, unsure whether this was a wise choice to make. But he couldn't see any reason to doubt Mazigazi anymore than he already had. The leopard did seem to be trying to help them, and Hekima couldn't think of any reason Eupe's brother would have to trick them. "Thank you for helping us."

Mazigazi nodded. "Take that way, and you'll soon find your way out." He focused on Eupe again. "And I'm telling you, Eupe, you should go back home to your own territory. Live alone, be solitary like a leopard- or panther- should." His voice softened just a little bit more as he said, "I don't want to think you're not right, not leopard, Eupe, so prove me wrong."

Eupe swallowed a sob. "I can't, Mazigazi. I'm on a journey with Hekima and the others, a really important journey. I can't just..." He shook his head. "And I can't change who I am, I can't change the fact that I don't want to be solitary, that I want to have friends." He let out a long sigh, but added softly, "I can't change that even for you. And even if I'm not acting much like a leopard, I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm not hurting anyone by being different, and I'm your brother- isn't that all that matters?"

Hekima felt a rush of pride for Eupe's words, but Mazigazi's expression didn't change. "It isn't all that matters, Eupe," the leopard said, his voice hard again. "And if you can't understand that, then I don't have any reason to try to convince you, I don't have anything more to say to you. Not anymore. Go the way I said and get out of here." He turned and started to walk away. "Goodbye, Eupe."

"Mazigazi, don't go!" Eupe cried. "Please, don't just leave me!"

Mazigazi let out a sound of disgust, and without turning to look back, vanished into the jungle's depths. A long silence followed and Hekima's heart twisted with sympathy as he looked at Eupe, who stood still and didn't seem to be breathing.

Eupe was shaking. "He- he's gone." He swallowed hard enough for Hekima to hear. "Did he just... disown me?" He looked at Hekima, his eyes wide and glistening. "He didn't, did he, Hekima?"

"Eupe, I-" Hekima cut himself off. He couldn't make himself say aloud that he believed Mazigazi had in fact just disowned Eupe.

Something broke in Eupe's eyes as he flung himself at Hekima and buried his head in the lion's mane, choked sobs wrenching painfully from his chest. Hekima's own throat felt tight, and he raised a paw to rest it on Eupe's back, trying to comfort his distraught friend.

Minutes passed slowly as Eupe cried himself out, and when he'd finally recovered enough to pull back from Hekima and speak, his voice was hoarse, "I'll find him, when we get out of here. I'll find Mazigazi and talk to him, make things better. He can't, he just can't..." Eupe let out a quiet sound of pain, clearly trying to control himself.

"I hope you'll be able to reconcile with him, Eupe," Hekima said gently. "I am so sorry. I can't imagine how I would feel if a member of my family said such things to me."

"Is it really so bad to just want friends?" Eupe asked softly. "I just don't like being solitary all the time. I don't want to be alone all the time. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with me..."

"No, it doesn't," Hekima agreed adamantly. "I see absolutely nothing wrong with it, Eupe. You are one of the finest animals I've ever known."

Eupe, the fur on his face stained with tears and his eyes still pained, nonetheless gave Hekima a grateful look. "Thanks, Hekima." He swallowed again, then said, "I, um... I guess we should get going, huh? We're not doing any good just sitting around here." As Hekima nodded in agreement, Eupe added, "I'm sorry I broke down like that. We have to get out of here, we didn't have any time for that."

"It's alright, Eupe," Hekima said, smiling at the panther in an attempt to reassure him. "How could you not have? But you're right, we should get going."

He and Eupe both rose to their paws, though Eupe did so shakily, and without comment started off in the direction opposite the one they'd been traveling, heading along the direction Mazigazi had told them to take.

Hekima padded in quiet thought for a while. At his side, Eupe walked in silence, his eyes fixed on the foliage just ahead of them and his head held low. The young panther must feel so alone, so upset. Today, he had been told by his own brother that his family was ashamed of him, that he wasn't acting as a member of his species should, that he was wrong to want friends. Then his brother had disowned him, perhaps not in so many words, but clearly enough. As if being lost in Baya Kichaka was not enough. Hekima turned to look at the panther as they walked, and came to a decision.

"You know, Eupe, there's plenty of room for you in my Pride Lands," he said, breaking the silence for the first time since they'd started walking again. "You're welcome there. I would love it if you'd come and live among us."

Eupe stopped in place and stared at Hekima, astonished. "You're offering me a place in the Pride Lands? You mean I could come to stay there?"

"Yes, I do mean that, if you want to. You are a good friend." Hekima bumped Eupe's shoulder with his own. "I've gotten used to having you around already, and I would be thrilled if you came to stay." He paused as Eupe continued to stare at him in amazement, then added with a small grin, "That is, if you don't mind putting up with a bunch of cub killing, prey stealing lions."

Eupe's eyes brightened, and he returned the grin, even if it was somewhat subdued, then said, "Well, I'm doing it now, aren't I?"

Hekima let out a laugh. "So you are. Has it been very difficult to put up with us?" Despite the joking mood, he felt the need to add, "You know we really don't kill cubs or steal prey."

"I know that!" Eupe bumped shoulders with him in return and then pulled a serious face. "Yes, it has been difficult," Eupe said with an exaggerated nod. "It's testing me to my limits, but I think I can take it." Hekima laughed again, and Eupe started chuckling. Once their laughter died down, Eupe said sincerely, "Thank you so much for this, Hekima. I'd really love to come live in the Pride Lands with you guys." He glanced back at where they had last seen Mazigazi. "I know it's not normal for a panther to want to have friends, but the fact is that I do want friends. I don't like being alone, not every minute of every day, not permanently." He looked back at Hekima and added more lightly, "And besides, I don't really want to go back and live in my jungle territory. After this place, I think I've had enough of jungles."

"No doubt," Hekima agreed wryly. "I, for one, won't mind if I never see another jungle again."

Eupe nodded. "So... You really wouldn't mind if I came to the Pride Lands and stayed?"

"No, I wouldn't. Far from minding, I want you to come," Hekima pointed out. "I would be glad to have you, and I'm sure Dhoruba, Abiri and Jani feel the same. We've all grown to like you quite a bit."

Eupe smiled widely. "Well, in that case, you can officially consider me a member of your kingdom." His smile became a grin. "I'm moving in! You're all pretty much stuck with me now!"

"Oh, how will we ever cope?" Hekima wondered dramatically, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Eupe let out a huff and bumped Hekima's side playfully, and Hekima shot him a smirk. Then he said more seriously, "I'm really glad to hear that, Eupe."

Eupe grinned at him. "So am I, believe me!" His expression dropped slightly, and he looked back toward where they'd encountered Mazigazi again. "And I'm going to talk to Mazigazi, just like I said," he added in determination. "We've fought before. Never like this at all, but... We can get over this, and he'll be my brother again."

Hekima nodded. "I'm sure you can work it out, Eupe," he agreed. "You said that he isn't normally like this. I can't understand why he would act so differently than you're used to, but perhaps the change is temporary."

"I hope so," Eupe said softly. Then he blinked and shook his head. "But first things first- let's get out of this jungle." He looked ahead, his voice brightening, "Come on, Hekima! Mazigazi said this way will take us out of the jungle, so it won't be long now!"

With that, Hekima and Eupe picked up their pace as they hurried on along the path Mazigazi had suggested, into parts of the jungle darker than those they left at their tails.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

Jani sighed as she, Dhoruba, and Abiri passed through a hanging length of lichen and emerged on the other side. The strands of greenery clung to Jani's pelt just as it did to the other two, and she was forced to pause for a moment to shake the lichen off. They had only recently left behind the lake where the Nile crocodile had attacked Dhoruba, and the part of the jungle the three of them were traveling through now seemed thicker than the areas they'd passed through before. It was getting frustrating for all three of them.

Jani tilted her head back to look up through the trees, though she knew any attempt to see the sky was now more useless than it had been at any other time as they'd traveled through Baya Kichaka's more densely grown areas. Surely enough, the foliage overhead, a mixture of branches, leaves, lichen, vines, and various other plants was much too thick for even a small bit of light to beam through. Though Jani was sure it was still daytime, the jungle around them was dark enough for the middle of the night. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

It also meant that any attempt to see the sky, to check for the star, was completely useless. There was no hope of that, probably even if one of them climbed a tree. Aside from the canopy being so thick, the tree trunks were so well padded with loosely gripping plants that if they tried to climb, they'd merely yank the plants out and fall back to the ground, something Jani wasn't willing to risk.

She quickened her pace to match Abiri's and Dhoruba's. They were just ahead of her, having shaken off their loads of clinging lichen somewhat more quickly than she had. "I had no idea that jungles could grow so thickly," she said in frustration as she drew even with them.

"Neither did I," Abiri said. "I've always heard they could grow thickly, but like this?"

"Even if this jungle wasn't Baya Kichaka I wouldn't want to stay here," Dhoruba said. "Moving around is getting much too difficult."

Jani knew precisely what he meant. The foliage had grown so heavily in this area of the jungle that for three full-grown lions, it was nearly impossible to make any headway. The gaps between plants were almost too narrow for them to squeeze through, especially for Dhoruba whose frame was so much wider than that of either lioness. They persevered the best they could, even so. They had traveled so far in this one direction that turning around and going in another seemed like it would only lengthen the time they were trapped in Baya Kichaka. And surely, the thickness of this part of the jungle couldn't last for much longer.

As they continued on, however, and the fullness of the jungle's plants, impossibly it seemed to Jani, only grew, she found herself becoming short of breath. After wrenching herself between two bushes, scrabbling at the ground to pull herself loose, she stood panting, her fur ruffled and covered in bits of twigs, trying to catch her breath. Waiting on the other side of the bushes, having managed to get through themselves shortly before she had, Dhoruba and Abiri looked back at Jani with concern.

"Are you alright, Jani?" Abiri asked, turning around to face her.

"Yes, I'm fine," Jani assured her, though she was unable to quiet her heavy breathing. "I just had a little trouble getting through that last bit..."

"We can take a break," Dhoruba suggested. "This part of the jungle is giving all of us a tough time, and we have been walking without much of a rest for most of the day."

"No, it's fine," Jani said, straightening up. "No need to stop on my account, I am ready to continue now."

Abiri nodded. "Alright," she agreed. She turned to look ahead and sighed as she saw what they still had to pass through; yet more bushes, lichen, and trees grown in a thick, difficult tangle. "Let's keep going, then..."

Jani and her two pride mates continued onward, pushing through the overgrown undergrowth, trying to find the easiest path but having difficulty getting past the biggest tangles. Jani, despite her claim, wasn't doing as well as she would have liked. Her paws ached from the constant walking they had been doing, though she was sure the same could be said for Dhoruba and Abiri, as well. Aching paws wasn't her main problem. The larger issue was the soreness in her shoulders and hips, the stiffness in the joints at the bends of her legs. Jani tried to ignore these discomforts, but they steadily worsened as they trekked on. Her friends, so much younger than she, were still in the prime of their lives, and it would be years before they started to have the same issues Jani had developed.

That was what was making it more and more difficult for Jani to keep pace with the other two, though she tried not to show it. She didn't want to inconvenience them in ordinary circumstances; to make them feel as though they needed to stop to allow her to rest while they were lost in Baya Kichaka was a horrible thought. It was not only the bad timing. The fact that Jani sensed there could be great danger in staying still for too long in this jungle was a large part of it. Worse, though, was the thought of not being able to keep up with the younger lions. It was simply humiliating to Jani, an affront to her self-respect.

She had chosen to go on this journey despite her age because she truly wanted to meet the newborn King, to pay her respects to Him. She had been sure that she could take the journey, and she wasn't about to change her opinion on that just because the way had gotten so much more difficult.

Jani was well aware that if she was anything, she was stubborn- she had been ever since she'd been a cub. That stubbornness had driven her parents a little crazy, but it had also earned Jani a place of respect among her pride as she'd grown, as a lioness who never gave up no matter the circumstances, as a hunter who never slowed until her prey had been caught and taken back home to feed the pride. And that stubbornness, that determination, had not faded in the least as she'd aged.

She adamantly refused to slow down Dhoruba and Abiri by being unable to keep pace- though as she struggled through yet another bush, unable to extricate herself for several long moments as branches and twigs tugged at and jabbed through her fur, she had to admit that she might not have a choice in the matter. The ache in her shoulders flared hotly enough that a low hiss of pain escaped her, and with a snarl, largely of irritation, she yanked herself free and stumbled out on the other side.

When she regained her balance and looked up, Jani blinked as she realized that Dhoruba and Abiri weren't waiting for her. The small area ahead of her, just clear enough of plant-life to travel without too much difficulty before it quickly became dense again, was completely bare of any sign of either of them, as if they had continued on without her. All three of them had been careful all this way not to travel out of the sight of either of the other two, so as not to get separated; and Jani was confused and alarmed when she could not spot them at once. "Abiri, Dhoruba?" Jani called as she hurried forward, glancing around for her pride mates.

"We're right here," she heard Abiri's voice call back, though she noticed with surprise that her friend sounded irritated. Abiri and Dhoruba pushed their way into sight just in front of Jani, shouldering through the thick foliage.

Jani let out a sigh of relief at the sight of them. "I thought for a moment there I'd lost track of you," she said.

"No, you didn't," Dhoruba growled, and Jani turned to face him, shocked at his tone. "But can't you keep up? It's bad enough that we're stuck in this jungle, without having to wait around for you to catch up to us all the time."

Jani just stared at him for a few seconds. He had never spoken to her like this before. "I'm certainly trying to keep up," she replied when she could, frowning.

"Well, you're not doing such a great job of it," Abiri snapped shortly, lashing her tail.

"I apologize for it taking me a little longer than it took you two to get through that bush, but there's no call for speaking to me like this," Jani retorted, shocked and injured. "And really, standing around talking about this is taking much more time than just continuing on would, isn't it?"

Abiri snorted. "It would be if we could make any actual progress while we walk, but you're just so slow!" She shook her head. "Do you really think you should have come along at all on this trip, old as you are?"

"What?" Jani exclaimed, now more disbelieving than ever. "Why shouldn't I have? I am not slowing us down as much as you seem to think I am, and suggesting I should have stayed behind, that I should have missed this chance to follow the star, to see the newborn child- how could you possibly suggest that?"

"Your age has made you feeble, Jani, too feeble to keep up," Dhoruba told her, his eyes narrowing. "And I agree with Abiri; you shouldn't have come along if you were only going to slow us down. You should have stayed in the Pride Lands."

Jani realized that the fur along her spine was bristling with indignation. "I'm not so old that I've no use left," she growled. "How dare you call me _feeble_, Dhoruba?"

"How dare I?" Dhoruba echoed. "Maybe because I'm beginning to think that if it weren't for you slowing us down, we'd have found the way out of here by now!"

Jani shook her head in disbelief, unable to understand what she was hearing. Neither of her friends had ever spoken to her the way they were doing now. She'd never heard them speak to _anyone_ the way they were to her now. It was wrong, it wasn't like them. "I think this jungle is getting to the both of you," she snapped, glaring at them. "And I don't like it at all. Now are we going to keep moving or are you both just going to stand here for the rest of the day, insulting me?"

"You're right, we should keep going," Abiri said, turning her back on Jani. "But I don't think Dhoruba and I are going to make any more allowances for you, Jani. Keep up if you can- if not, then that just proves you shouldn't have come on this journey at all." She glanced at her other pride mate as Jani stared in shock. "Let's go, Dhoruba."

"Wh-what are you saying?" Jani found herself stuttering as Abiri and Dhoruba turned and started off through the jungle. "You can't possibly mean that!"

Neither of them looked back at her, and for a moment, shock locked Jani's muscles in place. Were her pride mates really saying that they would leave her behind if she couldn't keep up? Were they really walking away without her? Jani blinked rapidly several times, as if hoping that one of the times, this nightmare would vanish and reality would reassert itself; for surely this had to be a nightmare. But each time she blinked, she could still see Dhoruba and Abiri walking away from her. In a moment, they vanished into the undergrowth and out of sight, though she could still hear the sound of their travel.

Suddenly regaining the ability to move, Jani leapt forward and shoved herself through after them as quickly as she could, ignoring the pain the abrupt movement caused her. As she pulled herself through, the part of her that wasn't in a complete panic was positive that Abiri and Dhoruba would be waiting for her on the other side, having regained their senses and apologizing profusely. But as she jerked herself out on the other side, she caught sight of Dhoruba and Abiri with their backs turned to her, both of them padding quickly onward... leaving her behind.

"Wait, please!" Jani gasped, hurrying after them. "You can't do this, you two! What is the matter with you? You know you can't just abandon me!" Jani realized she was pleading, but found she didn't really care. It had been painful and difficult to pull herself through that last bit of thick greenery, and she knew if she had to do it again, she would surely fall behind if they didn't wait for her. They couldn't leave her alone in Baya Kichaka- they wouldn't. They were her friends, they cared about her, just as she cared about them. The entire thing seemed unreal to Jani. Her two pride mates were acting so unlike themselves that she couldn't truly process the change. It made no sense to her. "Abiri, Dhoruba, stop!"

Neither of them so much as paused, and Abiri called back, "Keep up! It's not our problem if you can't keep pace."

"You are my pride mates!" Jani exclaimed, caught between shock and anger, hurt and disbelief. "I am part of your pride. That makes it your problem! I am not slowing you down nearly as much as you're acting like I am, and you, neither of you, have any right to leave me behind like this!"

Jani followed them desperately through two more thickets, falling farther and farther behind, though she struggled to keep up. They no longer responded to her calls at all, which became more and more frantic by the second. Her aching joints were in agony, and finally, she was forced to slow to a jolting walk as they traveled out of her sight.

Her breath came in gasps, both of emotion and of exertion, and she felt herself trembling. Still, she kept moving, through she knew she'd never catch back up to them unless they slowed to wait for her, and she was now sure they weren't going to do that. Unable to think of anything else to do, too panicked and frantic to do anything else, she still called out to them. There was no answer, and the sounds of their passage were growing fainter by the second.

Then there was a rustle of sound among the bushes at her side. For a hopeful instant, she thought that it must be Dhoruba and Abiri, and that they had returned for her after all. But to her shock and relief in equal parts, the one who stepped out of the foliage was Hekima.

"Oh, Hekima! Thank goodness!" she cried, hurrying over to him. "Dhoruba and Abiri, they- they want to leave me behind! They think I can't keep up with them, because of my age, and they've gone on without me!" Jani stared at Hekima desperately, though she noticed with confusion that there was no sign of shock in the king's eyes at her horrible news. "You can't let them leave me behind," she said shakily.

"I heard what they were saying, Jani," Hekima said evenly. "I know they're leaving you, that they think you can't keep up." His eyes narrowed as he looked her over, taking in her trembling form, her bristling fur. "And I think they're right."

"What?" Jani stared. Surely her hearing had failed her. _What_ did he just say? "Hekima, you... you think they're right?" She shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest as her world crumbled around her even more completely. "You think they should have left me behind?"

"Yes, I do," Hekima said simply. "You_ are_ too old, Jani, and you shouldn't have come on this journey. They are right about that."

"No, Hekima, not you, too!" Jani said desperately, and she heard her voice crack. "I've been trying to keep up, I'm not holding any of you back, not that much!"

Hekima scoffed. "I'm sorry, Jani, but you have." He turned in the direction Abiri and Dhoruba had taken. "And I for one, can more than keep up with them." With a disdainful flick of his tail, Hekima started off away from her, heading the way the other two had.

"Hekima, you can't think that way, too," Jani cried as she put on a burst of speed to catch up to him. His brisk trot was too quick, however, for Jani's sore body to match, and she quickly started to fall behind.

"_Please..._" Jani felt a sob rising in her chest, tried to hold it back, and failed. "Hekima, I know you! You don't do things like this, you don't abandon pride mates!" Her king's only response was to shoot a dark look at her over his shoulder, now far enough away he had almost disappeared among the intervening plants. Frantic, Jani heard herself say in a rush, "I've known you since you were a cub, Hekima! I knew your mother, I was friends with her! Your mother wouldn't want you to leave me behind, she would be so angry at you for leaving me behind! Please, Hekima..."

"There's no point in waiting for you, Jani," Hekima said coldly. "Not if any of us want to escape from this jungle. You'll only hold us back, and you've done enough of that already. None of us are willing to waste our time, let alone risk our lives, waiting around for you any longer. Why should any of us let the weak set the pace?" Without another word, Hekima vanished into the greenery.

"Hekima!" Jani tried to dart after him, but her sore body, her shock, and her decreased vision, blurred by a film of tears about to fall, caused her to stumble, and she almost fell. "Hekima, come back!" she called as loudly as she could, desperately. "Dhoruba, Abiri!"

There was no answer from inside the foliage ahead of her, and Jani felt herself sway on her paws as the shock of what had just happened hit her fully.

An instant later, however, she heard something else; "Jani!" The voice pierced through Jani's confusion, terror, and grief.

"Jani, please, snap out of it!" a different voice pleaded.

Suddenly the world around Jani seemed to shift, and she could feel a paw on her shoulder, shaking her as though in an attempt wake her from a bad dream.

Jerking around, Jani's eyes widened as she saw Abiri and Dhoruba standing next to her, and realized that they had been calling for her, that it had been their voices just then, though they had sounded odd through her haze of shock. She realized, though, that her shock shouldn't have been enough all by itself to prevent her from recognizing her two friends' voices the moment they spoke. She had, after all, known both of them since they'd been cubs. It was as if something else had blocked and distorted their voices when they'd called to her, as if a barrier of some kind had been between them.

Abiri's paw was still on her shoulder, and both of her pride mates watched her with what seemed to be confusion and concern deep enough that they were almost frantic.

For a second, Jani could only blink at them. Had they come back for her after all? But she hadn't seen them coming back, hadn't heard them- how had she missed that? And why did they seem so confused and worried about her when they were the ones who had left her behind?

"Jani?" Abiri asked, sounding uncertain. "Are you with us now?"

"Am I with you?" Jani repeated, caught between confusion and indignation. She shrugged off Abiri's paw. "You're the ones who left me!"

"What do you mean?" Dhoruba asked, stepping toward her, wide-eyed with apparent concern. "We've been right here this whole time, Jani. We haven't left you. You think we would leave you behind?" He seemed to be truly horrified at the thought, which only confused Jani further.

"When I asked you if you were with us, I said that because you've been... out of it," Abiri said, then added in relief, "You seem to have snapped back out now. But for the past few minutes, you've been talking to the air, like you thought you were talking to us."

"What are you talking about, 'out of it'?" Jani asked slowly. "I saw you two, I talked to both of you. You said I was too old to keep up, that I was slowing you down. That you'd be out of Baya Kichaka by now if it wasn't for me. Are you saying neither of you said anything like that?"

"You thought we said _what?_" Abiri exclaimed, clearly shocked. "We would never say that, Jani! Of course we wouldn't!"

"But I saw... you both..." Jani trailed off in bewilderment. But as confused as she was, this conversation somehow rang much more true than anything in the past few minutes had. It rang more true than anything had since the moment her friends started accusing her of holding up the pace so much they thought they should leave her behind, since they'd started acting so horribly to her.

"We just saw you talking to thin air, Jani," Dhoruba said. "You were acting like you thought you were talking to us."

"The last thing either of us said to you before you- zoned out, I guess?- was when Dhoruba suggested we take a break, you said you were okay to keep going, and we moved on," Abiri said. "Then, we kept on for a bit, went through a few bushes, and you followed, but you acted like we went on ahead without you."

"Yes, but we were standing right there," Dhoruba added, frowning with clear puzzlement. "It was like you couldn't see us, and then you were talking to us, using our names, but not looking at where we were standing. You really thought we were leaving you behind?" He shook his head. "We were here all the time, Jani, right next to you. You ran on ahead- you seemed to think you were following us as we left you... but we were following you, trying to figure out what was going on."

"And what was that about Hekima?" Abiri asked. "I haven't seen any sign of him or Eupe since we split up into two groups."

"So none of that was real?" Jani asked quietly, mostly to herself. Was that it? Had the past few minutes, the horrible way her friends had been acting, Hekima's sudden appearance and his cruel treatment of her... the way all three of them had acted, so unlike themselves... Was all of that fake, a waking nightmare? And Abiri had just made her realize something; Eupe the panther had not been with Hekima when he'd shown up to Jani, when he'd treated her so cruelly. Why had she not even wondered where Eupe was? Why hadn't Eupe been with Hekima- if that had truly been Hekima? Was that evidence that everything she'd seen over the past few minutes had been imagined? "Neither of you said anything like that to me, neither of you said I was slowing you down?"

"No, of course we didn't," Dhoruba assured her, his tone earnest. "We would never think that about you, Jani."

"You aren't slowing us down," Abiri said. "And we would never leave you behind even if you were. You're our pride mate, and our friend. We need you."

Jani stared at them for an instant more, then let out her breath in an explosive sigh. _This_ felt right, the way they were talking to her now; this felt true. But then, how could it be that everything over the past few minutes had been false, simply imagined? "Then if that's true..."

"It is!" Abiri insisted.

"Then what was I seeing?" Jani shook her head, feeling nearly dizzy with confusion.

"Well, what _did_ you see, exactly?" Dhoruba asked.

Jani hesitated, a part of her beginning to feel shame at the thought of telling her friends what she'd thought they'd said to her, worried that their feelings would be hurt; while the rest of her was just bewildered by the conflicting events. Then she took in a deep breath, and told Dhoruba and Abiri everything that had happened in as much detail as she could. It wasn't difficult, since what she'd heard them say to her, and then what Hekima had said, had shocked her enough that it seemed to be branded into her memory.

They both seemed horror-struck anew by her recount, and when she got to the point where Hekima had left her behind as well, leaving her abandoned by all three of her pride mates, and then finished her story, Abiri stepped closer and pressed her head against Jani's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jani," Abiri murmured. "That's awful to think..."

"You have to know we'd never do that to you, don't you?" Dhoruba asked softly, as unsettled by Jani's tale as Abiri had been.

"When it was happening... no, I didn't," Jani said. "I couldn't believe it, you were both acting so strange, so unlike yourselves. But there it was, happening in front of me, so I had to believe it." She sighed. "And now... That really didn't happen, did it? It was all a nightmare? All, what, an illusion, a hallucination?"

"It must have been," Abiri said, tilting her head in confusion. "It didn't happen, so it must have been... But how could you have seen a hallucination? That's never happened to you before."

"Something very wrong is going on around here," Dhoruba said. "So many unexplainable things are happening." He blinked as something occurred to him, and then his eyes widened. "Wait a moment- this has happened before, one of us seeing something that the other two couldn't." When they both looked at him, he added, "That crocodile, the Nile crocodile... I could see it, I saw it attack me, nearly catch me; I saw the water splash into the air, heard its jaws snap, its weight hitting the ground when it landed on the shore. But neither of you even saw it, and come to think of it, it splashed me pretty well, but my fur wasn't even wet. I mean, my paws were, because I waded in to drink, but the way it splashed me, my head and back should have been, as well, but they were dry."

"That's right," Abiri realized. "And then the water was so clear, there was no stirred up mud, no sign the crocodile had even been there in the first place."

Jani looked back and forth between the two of them, shock and confusion pulsing through her but realization starting to join them. "So was that a hallucination, just like..." Jani felt her tensed shoulders relax with the feeling of relief that accompanied her acceptance that everything she'd seen and heard between the time Dhoruba had suggested taking a break before they'd continued on, and when Abiri had shaken her back to her senses while they'd both called her name... everything between those two things had been fake. Her pride mates had not treated her they way, they had not called her too old to keep up, had not called her feeble, weak. They had not left her behind. "...Just like mine," she finished. "If mine was, were they _both_ illusions?"

"If neither of you saw the crocodile..." Dhoruba said hesitantly. "But then, it seemed so real."

"What I saw seemed real, as well," Jani pointed out.

"Neither of us could see the crocodile," Abiri confirmed. "And then none of us could see any sign it had been there at all. And then there's the fact that the crocodile was the first sign of life aside from us we'd seen all day. Well, apart from Giza. But we haven't seen any other kind of animals. No fish, no birds, no small mammals. No sign of Giza's pride mates, he told us about. Not even any bugs, and there should be thousands of those."

Jani caught onto where Abiri was headed. "So if the crocodile was real, why was it the only sign of life we've seen, and if it was, what would it feed on?"

"Right," Abiri agreed. "It would need prey, and if there are no other animals around..."

"So it must have been a hallucination," Dhoruba muttered. "It was so real, but you both have good points. It couldn't have been real, could it? And then for it to be a Nile crocodile..." He coughed self-consciously, clearly embarrassed. Then he seemed to think he needed to make his point, despite his discomfort, and added, "Well, why would it be a Nile crocodile, of all the things that could pose any kind of threat? And if I was the only one to see it, when a Nile crocodile was the kind of crocodile that killed my father, then it just seems like a big coincidence. It seems like, if that was a hallucination, then..." He trailed off awkwardly.

Abiri nodded. "If that was a hallucination, then it was dead-on about what would affect you the most, Dhoruba." She frowned. "And what else could that mean but that this jungle, or _something_, is not only causing us to have hallucinations, but picking ones that would shake us up the most?"

"Like mine, where I thought you were all leaving me behind," Jani said. "What better way to unsettle me than that?"

Dhoruba seemed shaken for sure, but by a new thought. "And if that's true, if what you saw, Jani, and if the crocodile were both hallucinations, then doesn't that mean that whatever caused the hallucinations knows us better than it should? I mean, how else could it know what would affect us the most?"

"Wait, are you saying that whatever's causing this can read our minds?" Abiri asked, disturbed.

Dhoruba shook his head. "No, more than that- I wasn't thinking about my father being killed by a crocodile, so it didn't just read my thoughts and cause me to see a Nile crocodile attacking. It was like it read my memories, like it knew what to pick out of everything in my memories."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. "Well..." Jani swallowed, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. "What exactly could do that? What does that mean we're dealing with?"

"I don't think I want to know." Abiri's ears were pressed flat to her head and her eyes had widened.

"I don't think any of us do," Dhoruba said. He looked around, his shoulders held tense. "We have to get out of this jungle as quickly as we can. We should get going." Before either lioness could respond, however, he thought of something else alarming. "Do you think that something like this could be happening to Hekima or Eupe? That they might be having hallucinations, as well?"

"Oh, my," Jani muttered. "I didn't think of that. But if we are, it seems possible that they might be seeing hallucinations, too."

"Right," Abiri agreed, distressed. "And if they are, what if they don't realize what they're seeing and hearing is fake?"

"Do you two think we should find them?" Dhoruba suggested. "Or call them with a roar, even though we haven't found the exit? I think, even if we haven't found the way out yet, we should join up again. Hekima and Eupe need to be warned about this."

"That's probably a good idea," Jani said. "They do need to know that there's something causing hallucinations. If they're fooled by one, like we were, then they might be in trouble. The way I ran off, thinking you two were leaving me behind... Well, I might have actually gotten separated from you both."

"I could climb a tree and roar for them," Abiri suggested. "Of the three of us, I'm probably the lightest." She glanced at Dhoruba. "I'm definitely lighter than you are, Dhoruba, though your roar might be loudest."

Dhoruba nodded. "Let's do that then, call Hekima and Eupe and join up with them again. I think that whatever is going on, we'd be better off facing it as a group."

"I'd have to agree with that," Jani said.

"I'll feel much better when Hekima and Eupe are back with us," Abiri added. She glanced around at the surrounding trees. "Alright, let's see... Huh, these trees won't be easy to climb, but I'll give it a try." She padded over to a tree close by, one whose trunk was somewhat less thickly padded with moss and lichen, and reared onto her hind legs, then sank the claws on her fore-paws into the greenery and the bark below, obviously testing to see whether it would hold her. "It should work," she decided quietly, and then leapt upward and fixed her hind claws in as well, pressed her stomach close to the bark, and scaled the tree, heading toward its top.

"Be careful, Abiri," Jani called after her.

Abiri called back in acknowledgment as she climbed higher, and after a few more seconds, she'd reached a high point in the tree. Having climbed as high up the tree as she could, Abiri was balancing on a branch near to the top, one just barely thick enough to hold her. Jani watched with concern as the branch bobbed slightly underneath her pride mate before settling. Then Abiri lifted her head high, took a deep breath, and let out a roar.

The throaty noise was at the loudest volume Abiri could make it, and as Jani listened to it, she knew it would reach quite a distance in every direction. Abiri paused for a moment, and then roared again. She would stay up there for a while, roaring periodically so that the sound could be tracked.

Hopefully, Hekima and Eupe would hear the roar, and follow their ears to where Jani, Dhoruba, and Abiri waited. With her head tilted back to watch Abiri up in the tree, Jani sat down to wait.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

The jungle around them darkened rapidly as Hekima and Eupe traveled, the foliage ever thickening, allowing less and less light through the deeper they traveled. After several long minutes during which it only grew darker and gloomier, the jungle thicker and more tangled, Hekima couldn't help but wonder if they were going the right way after all. Would they have to travel all the way through the deepest part of the jungle again before reaching the sunny desert? Mazigazi had pointed them in this direction- and disowned Eupe at the same time; but though they'd traveled quite a distance now, there was no sign of the jungle's edge.

"Eupe, do you think your brother might have accidentally sent us in the wrong direction?" Hekima asked. "I would think that by now we should be reaching a part of the jungle nearer to the edge. We've been walking through this dense area for some time now."

"I don't know," Eupe responded, glancing around at the surrounding foliage unhappily. "I thought we'd be close to the edge by now, too. I guess he could have been wrong, but he seemed so sure."

Hekima nodded in agreement. Mazigazi had seemed very sure he was sending them in the right direction. And yet there were still so many things about their two encounters with Eupe's brother that Hekima couldn't understand. Why hadn't Hekima been able to see or hear Mazigazi the first time around, but had the second? What was Mazigazi doing in Baya Kichaka in the first place, and was there any particular reason, aside from his saying that it wasn't Hekima's business, that he hadn't answered Hekima when he'd questioned him on that? And when Baya Kichaka seemed designed to confuse and befuddle, to make anyone who traveled inside its borders lost, afraid and uncertain, how was it that Mazigazi seemed to know his way around well enough to direct them at all? And on top of all the rest of the strangeness, Mazigazi's cruel words toward his brother were starkly out of character from the way Eupe had described how Mazigazi usually was.

So many things about the situation just didn't make sense to Hekima, and there was still something about the meetings with Mazigazi that just seemed wrong to him, like something was off, somehow, not right.

"This jungle just makes me feel so jittery," Eupe spoke up suddenly. "And the deeper we go and the darker it gets the worse it gets." Eupe hesitated, then looked over at Hekima and said slowly, "Hekima... I've been thinking about something. I just can't understand why my brother was speaking to me that way. I have to wonder if maybe something happened to him and he's not the way he used to be. He doesn't seem to be himself at all, and everything is getting so much darker, and we don't seem to be heading the right way... I mean, maybe he was just... being mean, sending us this way."

"I was sort of thinking the same thing," Hekima said, surprised at their similar trails of thought. He could see that Eupe was very bothered by the idea, and he couldn't blame him. It seemed that Mazigazi may have sent them the wrong way on purpose, and Eupe, too, had thought it possible enough to voice the idea. He seemed upset and disturbed. "It looked like we were going the right way before, and now, it just doesn't seem that way." Hekima let out a sigh as he looked around, then said, "Maybe your brother was mistaken, or maybe you're right and something is different about him now."

"Nothing seems right, Hekima," Eupe said. "Nothing about the way he was treating me was normal for him. I'd never have thought he'd treat me that way. And he'd never seemed that upset with me before about my not liking being solitary so much." Eupe shook his head. "Before, when we were growing up, before our family split up to get our own territories, he seemed just fine with it, maybe a bit amused, but not in a mean way. But now, he was so angry with me, so disapproving... It's just weird. What if something is different about him now, if something happened to change him? I just don't see how the way we're going now can lead us out, and the way he was acting was so..." He trailed off, unable to think of the right word to describe how his brother was acting.

"Hostile?" Hekima suggested, and Eupe nodded glumly. "I know what you mean, Eupe. And there are other things I don't understand about this, like how Mazigazi could know his way around here, or why he would be here at all."

"So what do you think, should we turn around?" Eupe asked quietly.

Before Hekima could answer, they heard a roar echoing across the jungle. Hekima spun toward the sound. "That's Abiri!" he exclaimed, easily recognizing his pride mate's call. The plan Hekima had come up with was for both groups to search for the way out of the jungle, and then, once they'd found it, roar to call the other group...

Hekima and Eupe looked at each other with wide grins on their faces. "Let's go that way!" they said in unison.

With fresh enthusiasm and excitement born of hope, Hekima and Eupe headed in the direction from which Abiri's roar had come. Every now and then, another roar would ring out to mark their location, making it easier for Hekima and Eupe to find their friends. Though they'd been hurrying, they were forced to check their speed as the jungle thickened, to the point where they could barely move a step without having a paw get tangled in trailing vines on the ground, or catching a patch of fur on the spiky branches of bushes.

Though it was slow going through the dense foliage, Hekima and Eupe persisted, moving as quickly as they were able. Several minutes later, Hekima shoved through a thick covering of broad leaves into a small open area, too small to be called a clearing, and he came upon his pride mates. Jani and Dhoruba, who were sitting at the base of a tree, both leapt to their paws and spun to face him.

"Hekima!" Dhoruba exclaimed.

"There you are, thank goodness you're both alright," Jani said, clearly relieved.

Hekima and Eupe both trotted over to them, and Hekima said with his own grin, "I'm more than glad to see _you're_ both alright!" He butted heads in greeting with his two pride mates, then glanced upward into the tree Jani and Dhoruba had been sitting at the base of and called up, "Abiri? Are you up there?"

"Hekima, Eupe!" Abiri dropped down onto a lower branch and climbed down the tree as quickly as she could, though ungracefully, tree climbing not being something she was used to doing. Once on the ground, she and Hekima butted heads, as well.

They all exchanged greetings, all of them feeling deep relief that the two groups were rejoined, before Eupe asked, "So where's the way out? You found it, right?" He was wide-eyed and hopeful, an expression Hekima was fairly sure he shared at the prospect of having reached the jungle's edge.

But to his confusion, Abiri, Dhoruba, and Jani exchanged slightly guilty glances. "We didn't think about that," Dhoruba murmured.

"No, we haven't found the way out," Jani told them with a frown. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't?" Hekima asked in shocked disappointment. Then he let out his breath in a ragged sigh. For a wonderful few minutes, he'd thought that his friends had found the way out; he'd thought that they'd all soon be able to leave the jungle. Beside him, Eupe reacted as well, his head dropping and shoulders slumping.

"We're still looking for the way out," Abiri added apologetically. "But we found something else out, and that's why we called you. Something... really strange."

Sudden concern lessened the intensity of Hekima's disappointment, and he asked, "Strange, how?" Worried, he glanced over his pride mates in a quick examination, but to his relief, couldn't see any injuries. "Did something happen?"

Hekima and Eupe listened in increasing horror as first Dhoruba described his encounter with the Nile crocodile, an attack by the same species of animal that had killed Jasiri, Dhoruba's father, an attack that Hekima knew had left his friend with deep emotional scars. Then Jani told them about what she had been through, the feeling of being abandoned by her pride mates and horribly insulted, then left on her own in Baya Kichaka. And they explained how they'd figured out that both events had been hallucinations, illusions.

By the time their friends had finished speaking, Hekima and Eupe were staring at each other in shock, both thinking the same thing; that if something was causing them all to have hallucinations, then that was what Mazigazi must have been. What else could possibly explain Mazigazi's total divergence from his true character, how he'd acted so unlike the brother Eupe knew?

"Hekima..." Eupe started, eyes widened with a mix of emotions, though confusion was at the forefront, "was Mazigazi... real? Or did I- did we both just- imagine him? _Hallucinate_ him?"

"I don't know, Eupe," Hekima said with a shake of his head. "But if Jani and Dhoruba have both had hallucinations, then it seems likely. And Mazigazi's appearance here and the way he was acting makes so little sense if it was real, if it wasn't a hallucination..."

"Who's Mazigazi?" Abiri asked. "What are you two talking about?" She glanced back and forth between Hekima and Eupe, frowning.

Hekima looked at Eupe and nodded toward his friends. "May I?" he asked.

Eupe nodded shakily.

Hekima faced his friends and explained: "While Eupe and I were searching for the way out, we ran into another animal, or rather, he stepped out in front of us. It was a leopard who looked just like Eupe's brother. In fact, he claimed to be his brother. At that time, I wasn't able to see him or hear him, only Eupe could. To me, it had seemed like Eupe was talking to thin air, though he seemed to be holding a conversation with someone. The leopard who looked like Eupe's brother was pretty mean to Eupe, something that's apparently quite out of character. And he gave us directions for leaving the jungle, directions that were completely against the way we were going at the time, the way that seemed to be working. Then, when we continued on the path we had been on, he reappeared. This time we both saw him. Again, he was cruel to Eupe, and again he sent us in a direction we didn't believe was right, though that time, we did follow his instructions. Then we heard you call. We now both believe these visits from his brother, Mazigazi, may have been hallucinations."

Abiri, Jani, and Dhoruba all seemed quite bothered by the recounting, and Dhoruba said, "It certainly sounds like a hallucination, especially considering what Jani and I both saw."

"Yes, it does," Jani agreed, and sent a sad look toward Eupe. "I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Eupe. Your brother, treating you cruelly, not acting at all like himself... It sounds very much like my hallucination, how I thought Dhoruba, Abiri, and Hekima were treating me."

"Thanks, Jani," Eupe said. He hadn't made a sound throughout Hekima's explanation, had seemed to be lost in thought, and now he shook his head as though to clear it. "I knew something was wrong," he said to everyone in general. "I couldn't believe how Mazigazi was acting, it was so unlike him. But if that was a hallucination, then..." Eupe started grinning, his eyes bright. "Then it really wasn't him, was it? My brother isn't really bad at all! He didn't say any of those things to me, and he didn't send us the wrong way, Hekima!" Eupe shrugged and corrected himself, "I mean, I know someone sent us the wrong way. But it wasn't really Mazigazi, even if it looked like him!"

Hekima smiled back at Eupe, cheered by the panther's sudden joy. "You're right, Eupe! If there is a bright side to these hallucinations, it is that. I had to wonder why Mazigazi would be acting the way he did toward you, when from what you've told me, he simply isn't like that. So if that really was a hallucination, it makes much more sense. It also explains why your brother would just appear in Baya Kichaka, for seemingly no reason, and why I couldn't see him at first."

"That really is great," Abiri agreed. "But there's a downside to that, too, obviously. We're having hallucinations, after all, which is a bad thing at the best of times." She shook her head. "Having them while being trapped in Baya Kichaka... well, it's bad. At least we know that since we're all having them, it isn't just that one of us is going insane or something. It's the jungle, not us."

"That is a relief," Hekima said, nodding. "To say the least. I was wondering that myself, if it was me I mean, when I couldn't see Mazigazi the first time around, even though Eupe could."

"And of course, we must be having these hallucinations because we're in Baya Kichaka," Dhoruba pointed out. "Something must be causing them. I just don't know whether it's something... sentient, causing them, or just something the jungle does itself... some aspect of the jungle."

"I didn't think of that, that someone might be making us see things," Eupe said uncomfortably. "I just thought it was something about the jungle. That's not a good thought at all..."

"It could just be the jungle," Jani ventured, rather hopefully. "I mean, I know that's not exactly a good thing, either, but better it be the jungle causing us to see things than someone, some animal, doing it."

"And if we're all having hallucinations," Hekima said, "if something is causing us to see, hear, even feel things that aren't there, that aren't happening- then it is even more important than I thought for us to find the way out, right away. The way Eupe and I were heading before seemed to be the way out, so if we backtrack and go that way again, we might have a chance." Hekima glanced around at his four friends. "Is everyone with me?"

"Oh, you bet! Let's go!" Abiri response was almost a shout.


	6. King Forever, Ceasing Never

**This is the final chapter of Star of Light. I believe strongly in the message that this story is meant to give, and I am thrilled to have had the chance to write it. I hope very much that you enjoy this story, and that it made your Christmas season a little brighter. Merry Christmas, and thank you for taking the time to read this.**

_Glorious now, behold Him arise,_

_King and God and Sacrifice._

_Alleluia, Alleluia,  
>Earth to Heaven replies.<em>

Hekima, Dhoruba, Abiri, Jani, and Eupe turned nearly as one and started back in the direction from which Hekima and Eupe had come.

Hekima, though his stomach was nearly churning in unease with the new found knowledge that something was causing him and his friends to hallucinate, was wholeheartedly relieved to have joined up with his three pride mates again. Though their reason for splitting up into two groups in the first place, to search a wider area more quickly and hopefully find the way out, still hadn't been achieved; and though they were still trapped in Baya Kichaka, he felt better now that he had Dhoruba, Abiri, and Jani by his side once again.

He'd been uneasy with the his decision to split up from the beginning, unsure whether it was wise to separate into smaller groups in a jungle such as this. He'd been uneasy about letting his pride mates out of his sight, beyond his ability to help if something were to happen, if something were to threaten them. Now that they were back together, a lot of that nervousness had dissipated. He felt they were stronger as a group, the five of them. Also, he simply drew comfort from being beside the pride mates he had known all his life, their presence making the situation somewhat easier for him to take.

Hekima hoped, as they all did, that by going back in the direction he and Eupe had been traveling before they had heard Abiri's call, they would soon be out. And hopefully, they would be able to escape from Baya Kichaka before any of them was struck by another illusion, another hallucination, or before anything else that might happen in this unnatural place happened.

As they walked at as quick a pace as they could manage while traveling through the thick foliage, Hekima glanced at his friend Eupe, who traveled at his side. He was glad to see that the young panther seemed much cheered, despite their situation. Eupe was clearly comforted by the knowledge that, though they were all seeing hallucinations, at least it meant that his brother Mazigazi's appearance and actions had almost certainly been a hallucination, as well; at least it meant that Mazigazi had not really treated him badly after all. There was, indeed, an upside even to the realization that their group was being afflicted by dark and hurtful illusions.

Hekima was deeply horrified by what Dhoruba and Jani had seen when they'd had their own hallucinations. Both of his friends had been strongly affected by those experiences, as both had targeted those fears and memories most harmful to them.

Hekima knew that his best friend would never want to admit it, but Dhoruba had lingering fears of crocodiles, particularly Nile crocodiles. His pride and belief that fears showed weakness made him reluctant to show these fears. Yet Hekima understood. How could he not have fears? He'd been a young cub when he'd watched a Nile crocodile kill his father. It was a terrible time for the entire pride, but particularly for the young Dhoruba. Jasiri had saved his son's life that day, had protected him during the attack, but Dhoruba had watched that crocodile drag his father into the depths of the river. Then he'd had to stand on the shore and watch as the water churned and frothed from the struggle. He had waited with desperate hope for his father to break free and resurface, only to wait in vain. A small cub standing alone on the riverside, helpless, far too young to do anything to help, and suddenly, horribly fatherless. And it was the very species of crocodile that had killed Jasiri, a Nile crocodile, that had been in Dhoruba's hallucination today.

And as for Jani- good-hearted, sensible, brave and oh, so resolutely stubborn Jani- to have seen, in her hallucination, her pride mates abandon her... The horror and pain she must have felt, that Hekima knew he would feel if he had been in her place, made him shudder. She had believed, even if only for a few minutes while the illusion had lasted, that her pride mates, Dhoruba, Abiri, and even Hekima himself, had thought her weak, old, had even told her that she was holding them back. Then she'd watched them walk away, leaving her behind to fend for herself, alone in the depths of Baya Kichaka, the most infamous, nightmarish place in Africa. Hekima knew that Dhoruba and Abiri would never consider abandoning Jani, not for the briefest instant, and knew, of course, that he would fling himself off a cliff before he'd leave the older lioness behind; but what else could Jani have thought, when she'd been watching them abandon her with her own eyes?

At least both his pride mates were through that now and had come out on the other side stronger for the experience. Now that they knew they were being subjected to hallucinations by forces unknown, they could recognize and fight against future attacks. Perhaps, by knowing that was they saw must be a hallucination, they could keep their grasp on what was real rather than what was imagined, what was illusion. That was Hekima's hope.

And now that all of them were together, they could protect and reassure anyone who began to behave strangely. They could help one another keep their grasp on reality. It seemed unlikely that all of them would have a hallucination at the same time. There was safety in numbers, and Hekima's group was going to make it out of Baya Kichaka without losing anyone.

Their best hope seemed to be to backtrack through the path he and Eupe had created with their earlier paw-steps as they made their way to what appeared to be the edge of the jungle. They soon found that path again and traveled along it; and, to Hekima's immense relief, the new plan seemed to be working. He had to admit to a bit of surprise that this plan was working. Until now, nearly everything had seemed to be working backwards. Indeed, this direction was directly opposite to the direction Mazigazi had urged them to take. But if Mazigazi been a hallucination caused by something in this jungle, something whose intentions were surely malevolent, then doing the opposite he had told them to do certainly could only be a good thing, Hekima believed.

As they traveled, the jungle again appeared to be thinning, as more and more light was allowed to stream through from overhead. Hekima could tell from its pale intensity that the sun was probably near the end of its path and was soon to set. That gave him another thing to worry about. He had no desire whatsoever to still be in Baya Kichaka by the time night fell.

Though some light shone through the jungle's foliage now that they were in a thinner area of the jungle again, Hekima could still see no sign of the star of the prophecy. The fact that it was still gone weighed on his mind, though that was challenged by the hope that it would reappear eventually. Whether it did or not was, at the moment, not his main focus. He couldn't allow it to be his main focus. He and his friends absolutely had to escape from Baya Kichaka without any more delay.

"This is more like it," Jani said, as the way became much easier to travel with the thinning of the jungle. "I'm not sure how much more of that I would have been willing to take, pulling ourselves through bushes, getting tangled in branches and all the rest of this thick undergrowth." She indicated the deep tangle of vine covered roots in front of her by tapping it with her paw.

"Yep," Abiri agreed as she gave herself a shake, ruffling her pelt. "I'm positive I'm never going to get all the twigs and bits of leaves out of my fur. No, they'll probably be stuck there for the rest of my life."

"Hmm, well, it's a good look for you," Dhoruba said dryly. "Half lioness, half bush... Yes, you're truly one of a kind."

"Huh, look who's talking!" Abiri snorted as she bumped her shoulder against Dhoruba's, a grin on her muzzle. "Have you taken a look at yourself lately? Your mane alone looks like you've got an entire jungle stuck in there."

Jani tutted as though in disapproval, though she was obviously amused. "Now, now, Abiri, don't exaggerate- I'm sure he only has about three-quarters of a jungle stuck in his mane."

"Jani... exactly whose side on you on?" Dhoruba shook his head with a chuckle.

Hekima grinned as he listened to his pride mates' banter, enjoying the lighter mood while it lasted, knowing it was brought on by the fact that they truly seemed to be nearing the jungle's edge. The jungle around them was much brighter than before, and Hekima had a strong feeling that they were close to the edge, though he couldn't tell whether it was intuition and instinct or just wishful thinking.

Moments later, however, something moved in the foliage ahead of them, moving brush and leaves with a rustle. All five of them froze in place and went silent, their muscles tense as they watched the brush move- and Hekima had just an instant to wonder if a hallucination was starting when a figure stepped out into sight just ahead of them.

Hekima's eyes widened. A handsome lion with a well-built form and pale fur that was nearly white, with a bright golden mane flowing down around his face, chest and shoulders, the newcomer was no stranger to the five of them.

"Giza?" Hekima gasped as around him his pride mates and Eupe reacted with shock as well.

"Hello, Hekima," Giza answered with a slight dip of his head, his sky-blue eyes fixed unwaveringly, piercingly, on Hekima's group. "And of course, hello to the rest of you, as well." He stepped closer to them all, until he was standing a few feet from Hekima and the others.

Hekima blinked, startled and confused by Giza's casual air. He had completely vanished, disappeared without a trace; and now he'd suddenly reappeared and was acting as though nothing strange had happened at all?

Clearly sharing those thoughts, Abiri echoed, "'Hello'? Just... wait, what?"

"You're alright?" Jani asked, taking a few steps forward. Hekima realized that he should have asked that question himself already, but his confusion over Giza's sudden appearance and nonchalance had temporary pushed his concern for the other lion out of his mind. Jani continued speaking before Giza could have a chance to respond to her question, so clearly she was just as shaken as Hekima was. "We've been looking for you, Giza! You just disappeared, and we've been quite worried."

"Oh, there's no need for concern on my behalf, I assure you," Giza said, with what seemed to be faint amusement.

"What?" Hekima asked, confused. "Giza, what happened? As Jani said, we've been looking for you. You simply vanished by that lake... what happened to you, why couldn't we find your trail?"

Giza smiled. It was a smile that should have been comforting, especially on a face as pleasant as his was, but something about it inexplicably unsettled Hekima. For no discernible reason, his heart was suddenly racing in his chest. Some sense, deeper even than instinct, some voice deep inside Hekima, was warning him that something was very, very wrong here.

When Giza spoke, his voice was matter of fact. "Well, Hekima, the answer to that is very simple. Honestly, I almost thought you all would have figured it out by now. You couldn't find my trail then because I didn't _want_ you to find it."

Though Giza's eyes were as clear and light as ever, Hekima had the odd notion that they hid something awful; that behind them lurked something terrible, dark, and strange, something none of them would ever want to see.

"And what do you mean by that?" Hekima asked quietly. Around him, his friends had fallen so silent that the air was hushed, and they were as motionless as the trees they stood among, so silent and so still it was possible they weren't even breathing.

Giza's reply was just as soft, and Hekima felt that he wasn't imagining the menacing quality it suddenly held. "What I mean is this; didn't you find it the least bit strange that after I told you the story of Riba, after I told you that the stories of Baya Kichaka were all false, that there was no danger to be found in this jungle, that after I reassured you again and again, that things began to happen to refute my claim? Didn't you find it strange that I had vanished so soon after I led you into the depths of my home, that I disappeared only after you all were deep in the jungle... only once it was too late for you to turn back and leave again with ease?" Giza's head was tilted and he surveyed them through narrowed eyes. "You have, of course, noticed that there are no other animals in this jungle; no prey, no hunters, nor even a bug. You have noticed that though I claimed I lived here with my pride, in reality there are no signs of any other lions living here. Surely you can guess why that is?"

Hekima only stared at him, almost unable to think through his shock as his mind worked through what he was hearing.

After a moment, Giza continued evenly, "There are no signs of any animals here because no animals have ever lived here. That, too, like the story of Riba, was a lie. There was never any Riba. The stories about this jungle are true. I do not live here with my pride. I do not, in fact, have a pride. I suppose you could even say that I don't truly live in this jungle myself... though Baya Kichaka is very much my domain." In that last, there was an odd tone in Giza's voice, a tone that Hekima might have referred to as amused; except that it was much too dark, much too... threatening, for such a light term to describe it.

"Giza..." Hekima swallowed, his heart in his throat. "Are you saying that you led us here for a purpose?" He knew really, that that was what Giza was saying; he was admitting it quite clearly after all. But Hekima's mind seemed to be working more slowly than usual, and he was having trouble catching up with this new revelation, that Giza had tricked them, had betrayed them, that he had, in fact, planned to do so from the moment he met them.

"Of course that's what I'm saying," Giza replied. "Yes, I led you here."

As Hekima stood in shocked stillness, Giza's words from before floated back to him, words spoken just after he had first met them, just after he had told them the story of Riba. At that time Giza had seemed be to talking about Riba, about how Riba had supposedly spun stories, lies, about Baya Kichaka being dangerous. That he'd spun these lies so that he could keep the jungle for himself, so that no one would come to challenge him for its ownership, when in fact the jungle was safe. Hekima knew now that Giza had led them here on purpose, had left them in this jungle. The words Giza had spoken back then, words that at first had seemed to be about Riba, now had a whole new meaning to Hekima. '_It is amazing, isn't it, how the lies of one lion can trick the minds of so many?_' That was what Giza had said to them then. Now, Hekima was certain the lion had not been speaking of the fictional Riba, but had been quietly amused as he, himself, lied to them, as he himself tricked them. It seemed to Hekima now that those words had been nothing but a taunt for Giza to enjoy; a private joke of sorts that only Giza himself would have recognized for what it was.

"And why would you do that?" Dhoruba asked, horrified, though there was trace of challenge in his voice as well as indignation. "Why trick us into Baya Kichaka?"

Giza's eyes narrowed. "This jungle was, in fact, a test," he told them, his voice abruptly cold. "I knew what your journey was before you ever told me; I knew that you were following the star. The star of the prophecy, as you refer to it, the Star of Bethlehem, as it is also known... You are on a journey to meet a newborn child, the Christ child, to pay your respects. This jungle was a test to see whether you were worthy of that honor." His expression seemed, as far as Hekima could read it through his shock and confusion, to be one of disapproval, even disappointment. "It is a test you all failed."

"What?" Hekima asked, his voice coming out hoarse. "A test?"

"Yes," Giza said with a nod. "When you met me, you chose to travel into Baya Kichaka, a jungle you had all heard such stories about, a jungle you all believed to be an evil place. Rather than walking around it, rather than facing the harshness of the desert, you chose to fall prey to the temptation of the jungle's supposed comforts. You wanted its water, its prey, and its shade, even though you knew its reputation. In short, you chose what was easy over what was right, and in that moment, you failed the test I had set for you."

"But..." Abiri broke off, sounding as horrified as Hekima felt. "But you told us the jungle was safe, that it was just a jungle, not dangerous like the stories said!"

"Yes, I did, as part of the test!" Giza snapped, his tone sharp. "And you failed that test." There was a moment of silence before Giza continued, "Even so, once you were in this jungle, though I was disappointed in you all for failing that first test, I thought that perhaps you deserved another try. To that end, I created hallucinations. I tested your friendships, your love. I tested your belief in one another. You," his eyes fell on Eupe, "saw a leopard who looked and sounded like your brother but spoke like an enemy. You let his words hurt you, you allowed his words to influence you, you believed your brother- the brother you claim to love- would speak to you in such a manner."

Eupe shrunk back, hanging his head.

"And you." He turned to Jani. "You believed the worst of your pride mates. You didn't entertain for even a moment the possibility that it might be your mind creating these hallucinations. You immediately thought the worst of your friends."

Jani looked ready to cry.

"And you, Dhoruba. You were brought down by the mere memory of a childhood event. Some mighty lion you are!" He roared this last, his every word dripping with disappointment.

Dhoruba looked stunned.

"I gave you the chance to redeem yourselves even after you failed my first test, and you fell short again, just as before." Giza gave his head a slow shake. "Do you really believe that any of you are worthy to be in the presence of the newborn King?"

"Who are you to set tests for us and to judge us?" Hekima growled, affronted and angry at Giza's audacity.

"You dare to challenge me?" Giza demanded. "Look up. Do you see the star? There is your judgment. If you were wanted at the Christ child's side, would you not be shown the way?"

Hekima stepped back as if stung. All of his indignation disappeared and was replaced with horror. Giza was right, the star had vanished after they'd entered the jungle. It was gone even now, its warmth and glow no longer there to guide them. It had vanished because they had failed Giza's tests. Its absence really was judgment, a condemnation of their worthiness. Hekima was filled with shame, grief-stricken at what they'd lost. He looked at his pride mates, and their faces mirrored his feelings, shock and horror at what this meant for them.

And then he saw Eupe; and the brave, young panther was stepping forward, his voice ringing out clear and true, strong with conviction. "No, you're wrong," he said. "That's not how it works. A few bad choices wouldn't cause the newborn King to reject us." He shook his head as he said again, "That's not how it works."

Abiri took a step forward herself, and her eyes were suddenly bright with relief, her tone steady as she spoke. "Thank you, Eupe, you're right," she agreed. "He would never reject us for making a mistake, for bad judgment. We are faithful followers, we're allowed to make mistakes sometimes. We're not proud of it, but we're not rejecting the King of all, and if we do not reject Him, He will not reject us."

Hekima felt relief flood through him as he realized that he'd been caught up in fear that he'd had no reason to feel. He had never been given a reason to doubt his King, and he would not now. Abiri was right. He would never reject them unless they rejected Him. And he could see these thoughts were also reflected in the faces of his friends around him.

At that moment the most amazing thing happened. Giza began to fade away, his mouth open in a scream of rage, his expression was twisted and his eyes blazed, but his yell had no sound. He was rendered voiceless, ineffectual. In the space of an instant, his form blurred and contorted, became darkened and warped as though a disguise was falling away to reveal the true creature underneath it; but before Hekima could see any details, Giza had faded into nothing and vanished from their sight.

In that same moment, beams of warm light from the star of the prophecy streamed down through the trees. The glow lit the ground, brightening it to a golden tinge, and Hekima's felt the warmth of the star on his fur, sinking straight to his heart. Overhead, it was as if the jungle's branches could not obstruct the star from their view at all. It radiated an unwavering brilliance, beckoning them, showing them the way once again.

Hekima and his friends let out simultaneous cheers and whoops, calling out their relief and joy.

"The star, it's back!"

"It sure is!"

"Eupe, you're magnificent!"

At that, all four lions turned to Eupe and crowded around him, alternately thanking him and congratulating him for setting them right.

"This jungle, that lion, Giza, they did something to us," Jani said. "and they took something from us. But you, Eupe, you kept it."

"You were the only one of us who was able to think clearly through the horrible things Giza was saying," Hekima agreed. "We all got caught up in it and lost our way, but you didn't."

"Thanks," Eupe said with a shy smile.

After a few more moments of joyful celebration, they all calmed slightly, and Abiri glanced at the spot where Giza had stood seconds ago. "Was Giza..." Abiri's voice trailed off, her expression and tone disbelieving.

"The personification of evil? I think he must have been," Dhoruba said, stepping up next to her.

"And we just faced him down..." Jani's voice was quietly astonished. She looked upward, and her eyes sparkled with the reflected light of the star. "We faced him, and now he is gone. And the star has returned."

For a brief moment, they all just gazed upward, drinking in the sight and the feeling of the guiding star. Then Dhoruba spoke, "I wonder why we couldn't see the star before. I don't believe Giza was telling the truth about why we couldn't see the star. So what really happened?"

"We did it ourselves," Hekima said. "We gave our personal power to Giza when we walked in here. We trusted in him, believed him, and it gave him some sort of power over us. The star was always there. Just as we believed the hallucinations, the illusions, we failed to see that the missing star was also an illusion. When Eupe reminded us of the truth, Giza lost the power to create illusions for us completely, and we were able to see the star again."

"You're right," Jani said. "I don't know how I know that you're right, I just know that you are."

Hekima nodded, and then motioned with his head. "It's still guiding us as it's always been, so let's be on our way."

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

As hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks, and weeks eventually became months, our small band of cats walked on. It was not an easy journey and prey was often hard to come by. There were highlands and lowlands, waterways and dry grasses, dry cracked ground and hard stone plateaus. There were hot days that baked the ground and sapped the energy, and there were cold nights that chilled to the bone. Wind storms periodically lashed the land and sent dust billowing into the air where it spun and twisted as if with a life of its own.

Interspersed between those more difficult days were days of bright, warm sunshine, flowered flat plains, and abundant prey. Never again on their journey did they encounter true evil, and always the star remained overhead, guiding them with its brilliant light.

As all journeys must, this journey was soon to come to an end. Our friends were entering the lands of the north where the King of kings would soon be born. Any time now, they felt it deep in their hearts.

As they neared the place of the holy birth, they became aware of other traveling groups of animals and people. These groups were also approaching the holy lands, and all were as anxious as they to meet and honor the new King.

One such group was led by a young lion named Thabiti. Thabiti was a fairly new king who told Hekima that the lands that he ruled lay somewhere to the north-east of Hekima's Pride Lands. King Thabiti traveled with his mate and queen, Kujali, as well as three others of Thabiti's pride mates. He suggested that as both Hekima's group and Thabiti's were heading the same way, they should make the rest of the trip as one group. Hekima thought that a fine idea.

Not long after that meeting, their group came upon another group of lions who were making the journey. It was led by King Itikadi, who had along two of his pride mates, Tafuta and Winda. This group, in turn, was invited to join Hekima's and Thabiti's band.

The three traveled the remainder of the distance as one, swapping stories of their long journeys and their trials, tribulations, and joys along the way. Eventually, the topic came around to the star and how they each knew what it symbolized. Thabiti shared the story of how his Great Grandfather Sikia and the king's pride mates were visited by a stranger, a stranger who brought news of a day when a star would appear to lead them to the birthplace of the one true King, and how that knowledge had been passed down to Thabiti. Itikadi told them of how his daughter, Amini, had a prophetic dream, one that had told her of the star that would soon appear and what it would mean, and how she had then told the rest of her pride.

Hekima and the others described to their new friends what they'd endured in the jungle called Baya Kichaka. Itikadi and his two pride mates expressed shock at this, because they, too, had gone through Baya Kichaka and had been subjected to similar horrors. They, too, were released from the jungle when they'd realized they'd been tricked and reaffirmed their faith. As it turned out, Itikadi's lands lay to the south of the Pride Lands, and so Baya Kichaka had been in the path of their journey, as well.

While Thabiti's group had not gone through Baya Kichaka, they'd had troubles of their own. A few days after Thabiti, Kujali, and their pride mates had left their lands and started their journey, they had come across a territorial dispute between two groups of animals, a dispute that had threatened to turn violent.

They'd stopped to offer their help as mediators, thinking it would simply take a few moments to hear both sides and offer advice. Instead, they'd quickly become involved in the dispute, and somehow, by the time the day was out, Thabiti and Kujali had found themselves on opposite sides of the argument and were fighting with each other.

Eventually, they became aware that they were being manipulated, played, and intentionally pitted against each other. As with the others, it was faith that helped them to see the truth, return to each others' side and continue their journey. After that, just as with Hekima's and Itikadi's groups, the remainder of Thabiti's band's journey had been relatively uneventful.

As the three joined groups continued on, word reached them carried by birds who were acting as messengers. They proclaimed to all the animals, "_For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord._*"

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

When the news arrived, Hekima and his friends, old and new, found new energy within themselves to make the final leg of the journey more quickly than they thought their tired legs were capable. They arrived in Bethlehem, and the star led this group of thirteen cats directly to a humble manger in which laid Jesus, the Christ child, the King of all kings.

Surrounding the manger were groups of humans and animals of all kinds, each there to honor the infant.

Like so many others around him, Hekima was overcome with emotion so powerful and raw that it brought him to his stomach, where he immediately bowed his head and gave thanks for this miracle.

There were human kings and commoners alike, animals from the humblest mouse to the grandest elephant; and they were there to take their turn before Jesus, exalting in His glory. Many laid gifts at the child's feet. Each moved on quietly after spending a moment in front of the new King. Then it was Hekima's turn.

Hekima stepped up to the child and reverently removed the amber from around his neck, unwrapped it from the leaves, and placed it with the other gifts in front of the child, murmuring, "This gift is from my pride. It is our heirloom, passed down through many generations. We would be honored if you would accept it." Then he bowed, stood and stepped back as the child's parents nodded their thanks and smiled back at him.

As his friends each took their turn in front of Jesus, Hekima reflected on how this was not only the defining moment of his life, but would determine the direction of the world for evermore. He was overwhelmed with the deepest feeling of honor to have been able to attend this child on the day of His birth.

The world would forever note this day as the day man and animal alike were offered everlasting life.

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (

And so our story ends. Truly, ending at the beginning. And prides today, such as Simba's pride, continue to honor this day by offering each other gifts in honor of the original gifts, practicing peace and goodwill toward all, and remembering the day it all began.

Merry Christmas

*_Holy Bible, Luke 2:11, King James version._


End file.
